Motorcyclist Dies Following Plainfield Township Collision

There was a fatal Will County motorcycle accident in Plainfield Township on Saturday night (February 20, 2016).

According to the Will County Sheriff’s Office (in a February 22, 2016 press release titled “Head-On Motorcycle Crash Ends In One Fatally Injured“) the accident happened as three motorcycles were riding on Renwick Road at 5:42 p.m.

An excerpt from the press release:

A 20 year old female, driving a 2004 Ford Focus, and several witnesses stated that they observed three motorcycles weaving in and out of traffic at high speeds prior to the accident. While the Focus was traveling eastbound on Renwick Road three motorcycles entered the westbound lane to pass the vehicle. One motorcycle was able to get back over in time however the other two were not and were struck head-on by the Focus. The female driver was transported to St. Joe’s with non-life threatening injuries.

One of the motorcyclists, identified as Richard C. Wallace, 52, of Morris, was taken by the Plainfield Fire Department to Presence St. Joe’s Hospital for treatment of his accident injuries. He was later pronounced dead.

The second motorcyclist was also taken to Presence St. Joe’s Hospital for treatment of accident injuries, which were considered to be non-life-threatening in nature.

Additional details regarding this fatal motorcycle accident can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the Will County Sheriff’s Office press release mentioned above, as well as the February 22 The Herald-News article titled “Morris man dead after Plainfield Township motorcycle crash, 2 others injured.”

Driver Dies After Plainfield Vehicle Accident

There was a vehicle accident Tuesday (February 9, 2016) in Plainfield, after which the driver later died.

According to the Will County Coroner’s Office, the crash happened as a man was driving near the intersection of Caton Farm Road and Red Hawk Drive in Plainfield. His vehicle left the roadway for an unspecified reason, and the vehicle struck a building.

The driver was identified as Maurice Parker, 34, of Joliet. He died Friday night at Presence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet.

The accident and cause of death remain under investigation.

Additional details and possible updates can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the February 13 Joliet Patch article titled “Joliet Man Dies After Single-Vehicle Crash” as well as the February 13 The Herald-News article titled “Joliet man dies following single-car accident.”

Types Of Traffic Hazards

One cause of accidents is traffic hazard is “road hazards.” While there are many types of road hazards, such road hazards have potential to cause (or contribute to) vehicle accidents. Such accidents have led to various accident injuries and/or fatalities. The issue of traffic hazards in Will County is discussed in the “Will County Road Hazards” page.

One recent notable road hazard was experienced in Boston. It involved a manhole cover, weighing over 200 pounds, becoming dislodged and going “airborne.” The manhole cover then smashed into and through a car traveling through inside the Thomas P. O’Neill Tunnel. The driver of the car was killed in the accident.

An excerpt from the Boston Globe article (with pictures) of February 12, 2016, titled “Woman struck by manhole cover inside O’Neill Tunnel, suffers fatal injuries“:

State Secretary of Transportation Stephanie Pollack described what happened as a “very rare event.”
“They’re pretty hard to dislodge and even harder to get airborne,” she told reporters at the State House Friday afternoon.
State Police are investigating what caused the manhole to become dislodged. The manhole covers a storm drainage system and was last inspected in June 2014. At the time of the inspection, it rated “very good,” Pollack said.

Additional details and possible updates regarding this fatal accident can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the Boston Globe article mentioned above, as well as the February 12 myfoxboston.com article titled “Woman killed after manhole cover strikes car on Rte. 93.”

Hole In I-55 Bridge Deck In Bolingbrook

One type of traffic safety issues is that of “road hazards.” These road hazards are notable for many reasons, including the potential for such road hazards to contribute (or cause) vehicle accidents. Such accidents sometimes lead to accident injuries and/or fatalities.

The issue of traffic hazards in Will County is discussed in the “Will County Road Hazards” page. One section of that page discusses a hole that developed in a bridge deck:

According to a December 17, 2015 Morris Daily Herald article titled “I-55 bridge hole near Channahon repaired, but more work needed in spring,” the hole was 6 feet by 6 feet in size, and this safety issue was reported to IDOT at 9:30 on the morning of Wednesday, December 16, 2015. There do not appear to be any accidents or injuries caused by this safety issue.

On Wednesday (February 10, 2016) the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) reported another bridge problem, a “full depth hole” in the bridge deck on outbound Interstate 55 over Illinois 53 in Bolingbrook.

In response to this traffic hazard, IDOT closed the right lane of outbound Interstate 55. It also closed the right lanes of southbound Illinois 53, below the bridge. IDOT expects repairs to be completed before Thursday morning.

It is unspecified as to whether this hole in the bridge deck caused any accidents or accident injuries.

Additional details and possible updates can be seen in the IDOT release mentioned above, as well as the February 10, 2016 Bolingbrook Patch article titled “Temporary Lane Closures in Bolingbrook.”

Man Dies Following Rollover Crash In Joliet

There was a fatal rollover crash Sunday (January 31, 2016) in Joliet.

According to Joliet Police, the accident happened at approximately 3:00 a.m., as a Dodge Neon traveling northbound on County Line Road, near Black Road, left the roadway to the left. The car then swerved right, jumped a curb, and hit several objects before flipping over numerous times.

An excerpt from the February 1, 2016 Chicago Sun-Times article titled “Man charged with DUI in fatal Joliet rollover crash“:

An Uber driver witnessed the entire crash and said the Neon was traveling between 80-90 mph.

According to Joliet Police, after the car landed, the driver checked the pulse of the passenger in the car before climbing out of the car and fleeing.

According to the Will County Coroner’s Office, the passenger was pronounced dead after being taken to Presence Saint Joseph Medical Center. He was identified as John J. Burns, 24, of Plainfield.

The driver was identified as Timothy Griffin, 24, of Plainfield. He was taken to Saint Joseph’s for treatment of his accident injuries, after being taken into custody.

Another excerpt from the Chicago Sun-Times article mentioned above, quoting Joliet Deputy Police Chief Edgar Gregory:

Griffin has been charged with DUI, Gregory said, but the charge may be upgraded. The investigation is ongoing.

Additional details and possible updates concerning this fatal Will County crash can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the Chicago Sun-Times article mentioned above, as well as the Joliet Patch article of February 1 titled “Driver in Fatal, Allegedly Drunken Wreck Jailed.”