Fatal Two-Vehicle Collision In Custer Park

There was a fatal vehicle collision Saturday morning (August 27, 2016) in Custer Park. The accident involved a “head-on collision” involving a car and semi truck.

According to the Illinois State Police (ISP), the accident happened on Route 113 near West River Road. An eastbound Chevrolet Monte Carlo lost control and hit a westbound semi truck.

The driver of the Monte Carlo, identified as Cameron A. Latour, 18, of Custer Park, was pronounced dead at 7:20 a.m. at the accident scene by the Will County Coroner’s Office.

The truck driver had minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital for treatment of these accident injuries.

An excerpt from the Chicago Sun-Times article of August 29, 2016, titled “Police: Rainfall contributed to fatal Will County crash“:

Illinois Sate Police Sgt. George Del Rio said the roads were wet and the Monte Carlo was likely traveling too fast for conditions.

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 August 28 The Herald-News article titled “Custer Park man dies after car accident.”

Pedestrian Dies Following Accident In Frankfort

There was a fatal pedestrian accident early Saturday morning (August 20., 2016) in Frankfort.

The accident is discussed in the Mokena Patch article of August 22, 2016, titled “Orland Man Charged with DUI in Crash that Killed Frankfort Man.”

As seen in the article, the accident involved a pedestrian who was struck by a car as he while walking on the shoulder of 80th Avenue. The pedestrian died the next day. The driver of the car faces various charges, including DUI. The accident also apparently involved distracted driving.

Additional details regarding this fatal Will County pedestrian accident can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the Mokena Patch article mentioned above.

The Number Of Accidents Caused By Road Hazards

Road hazards are a subject that has been discussed often on this site, as such road hazards are potentially dangerous for motorists. One reason for this danger is that road hazards are often unexpected, and there can be little if no advanced warning as to their presence. Road hazards can take many forms, including foreign items that are sitting on the roadway, or items have fallen off of other vehicles. These various road hazards have caused or contributed to many Illinois crashes. As seen in various posts on this site, recent road hazards in Will County have included such things as (very) large potholes, holes in bridge decks, and dislodged pavement markers. The subject of Will County road hazards is more thoroughly discussed on the “Will County Road Hazards” page.

On August 11, 2016, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety released findings from a research report titled “The Prevalence Of Motor Vehicle Crashes Involving Road Debris, United States, 2011-2014.” The report highlights the incidence of accidents caused by road hazards. The report factors in crashes by vehicles including cars, pickup trucks, vans, minivans, and SUVs. The report highlights the extent of road hazards causing accidents, particularly those on highways.

As stated in the report’s Fact Sheet:

Between 2011-2014, road debris was a factor in a total of more than 200,000 police-reported crashes
Resulted in a total of approximately 39,000 injuries and 500 deaths

The Fact Sheet defines road hazards as:

Road debris is defined in the current study as debris from any source, including by not limited to vehicles, that can pose a significant safety hazard (animals in the road, trees that fell onto vehicles, debris caused by a previous crash, and construction-related materials in active work zones were not counted as debris)

Also, the fact sheet mentions that:

About two-thirds of debris-related crashes are the result of items falling from a vehicle due to improper maintenance and unsecured loads.

The report is also discussed in the August 11, 2016 abcnews.com article (with video) titled “New Study Shows Risks of Road Debris in Highway Crashes.” The video in the article shows various accidents caused by road hazards, including a car wheel or car tire bouncing down a highway and into the windshield of oncoming vehicle.

Additional details regarding the hazards caused by road hazards can be seen in the sources mentioned above.

“Chain-Reaction” Crash In Joliet Injures Four People

There was a five-car “chain-reaction” crash Thursday (August 11, 2016) in Joliet. A woman was later charged with DUI in connection with the accident.

This crash is discussed in a variety of media sources, including the August 12, 2016 Joliet Patch article titled “Drunken Driver Causes 5-Vehicle Crash that sends 4 to Hospital: Police.”

As seen in the article, a 50-year-old woman (Maria Garcia) driving a Honda “rear-ended” a Ford F150 at the intersection of Jackson Street and Collin Street at approximately 7:26 p.m. After that initial collision, a “chain-reaction” crash occurred in which other vehicles were struck. In all, five vehicles were involved and four people were taken to local hospitals for treatment of their accident injuries. None of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening in nature.

An excerpt from the article:

Garcia was arrested for aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol, driving under the influence of alcohol, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, improper lane usage, no valid driver’s license and no insurance.

Additional details regarding this Will County multi-vehicle crash can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the Joliet Patch article mentioned above.

Fatal Car-Semi Collision In Will Township

There was a fatal car accident Thursday morning (August 11, 2016) in Will Township.

According to the Will County Sheriff’s Office, the accident happened at 6:10 a.m., and the accident scene was at Will-Center and County Line Roads.

An excerpt from The Herald-News article of August 11, 2016, titled “Man killed in Will Township crash,” quoting Will County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Kathy Hoffmeyer:

“Preliminary reports indicate the man driving the Buick was traveling south on Will-Center when he went through a stop sign,” Hoffmeyer said.

The Buick was then struck by a westbound semi truck.

The driver of the Buick was identified as a 21-year-old man from Lisle. He died at the accident scene.

The driver of the semi refused medical treatment at the accident scene.

A quote from the August 11, 2016 mysuburbanlife.com article titled “Lisle man killed in car crash in Will County,” again quoting Will County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Kathy Hoffmeyer:

“At this time deputies believe that the deceased driver did not see the stop sign because of the very thick and heavy fog that was present in the area,” she said.

Additional details and possible updates concerning this fatal Will County collision can be seen in a variety of media sources, including The Herald-News and mysuburbanlife.com articles mentioned above.