Month: January 2018

There was a fatal single-car accident on northbound I-55 near Bolingbrook Wednesday (January 24, 2018) morning.

According to information provided by the Illinois State Police (ISP) the crash happened on northbound I-55 at milepost 265.  The crash, which involved a single vehicle, happened at approximately 10:45.

At the time of the crash, a BMW SUV was heading northbound in the middle lane.  The crash happened as the driver of a BMW SUV, for an unknown reason, apparently lost control of the vehicle.  The SUV then rolled over into a ditch.

The driver was taken to the hospital ER of AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center Bolingbrook, where he was later pronounced dead. The driver was identified by the Will County Coroner’s Office as  Wayne A. LaBotz, 64, of Romeoville.

An excerpt regarding the crash, from the January 24, 2018 Bolingbrook Patch article titled “Romeoville Man Killed In I-55 Crash Near Bolingbrook“:

The crash occurred in Illinois State Police District 5, including Will, Grundy and Kendall counties, where police said 135 crashes occurred from midnight until 1 p.m. Wednesday. A total of 65 drivers were involved in some type of incident where they lost control of their vehicles because of icy roadways, resulting in spinouts and vehicles in ditches, police said.

Additional details and possible updates concerning this fatal Will County car accident can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the article mentioned above as well as the January 24 The Herald-News article titled “Dead Driver Identified.”

There have been numerous traffic accidents attributed to “black ice” this morning (January 24, 2018) in Will County.

For those unaware of “black ice” and its effect on driving, “black ice” forms when temperatures drop below freezing, and for various reasons a thin film of clear ice forms on the roadway.   It is very slippery, and because it is clear it is very difficult to see, especially at night.  Furthermore, since it is hard to see, drivers often don’t have time to slow down before driving over the slippery areas.

The resulting very slick road condition has been the cause or contributing factor to many Illinois crashes and typically cause loss of vehicle control.  These loss of control accidents often lead to vehicle spinouts, vehicles leaving the roadway (“slideoffs”), and rollovers.  Trucks may “jackknife” or otherwise lose control.  Additionally, any time a vehicle leaves the roadway there is the potential for the vehicle to collide with a fixed object, such as a barrier, wall or tree.  Due to the serious nature of these crashes, as well as the fact that many occur at higher speeds, accident injuries can be serious and possibly life-threatening in nature.

Will County, and other Chicago area counties including DuPage County,  experienced “black ice” which caused numerous types of accidents this morning.

The slick road conditions and accidents are discussed in numerous articles, including the January 24, 2018 NBC Chicago article (with video) titled “Black Ice Causes More Than 50 Crashes on Chicago-Area Roadways” and the  January 24 Naperville Patch article titled “Crashes, School Closings, Power Outage Reported Due To Black Ice.”

An excerpt from the Naperville Patch article:

Multiple crashes — between 20 and 30 — were reported along I-55 and I-80, prompting state police to issue a warning people to stay home unless they absolutely had to go out. “Illinois State Police are reminding motorist to use extreme caution on the roadways this morning,” police said. “Drive at slower speeds and be prepared for vehicles losing control around or ahead of you. Please do not go out on the roadways unless absolutely necessary.”

Plainfield police said they were responding to numerous crashes and vehicles in ditches, adding, “If you can delay your travel and avoid being on the road PLEASE DO.” Joliet police were also reporting dozens of crashes.

As seen on Facebook from the Joliet Police Department:

Road conditions this morning are hazardous. Dozens of crashes are being reported throughout the City of Joliet and portions of I-80 have been shut down. If you must travel, drive slowly and allow extra time to reach your destination.

Additional details concerning these slick road conditions and associated traffic safety concerns can be seen in the sources above.

There was a fatal car crash on I-80 early Thursday (January 18, 2018) morning in New Lenox.

Illinois State Police went to the accident scene at approximately 4:00 a.m.  The crash occurred on eastbound I-80, near the Veterans Memorial Tollway, and involved a SUV and a car.

According to information provided by the Illinois State Police, the crash happened after a 2011 Kia Soul stopped in the center lane for an unknown reason.  Its lights were not on.  That car was then “rear-ended” by a 2005 Toyota 4Runner that struck the front driver’s side.

The driver of the Kia, identified as Aaron Scofield, 31, of Chicago, was ejected from the vehicle.  He was taken to Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox where he died, according to the Will County Coroner’s Office.

The driver of the Toyota, a 43-year-old man, was also taken to the hospital for treatment of his accident injuries.

The Illinois State Police Crash Reconstruction Unit is investigating the accident investigation.

Additional details and possible updates concerning this fatal Will County accident can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the January 18, 2018 abc7chicago.com article (with video) titled “Man who died after being ejected from vehicle in I-80 crash identified” as well as the January 18 NBC Chicago article titled “Deadly Crash Closes Lanes on I-80 Near Veterans Memorial Tollway.”