Category: bicycle accidents

A Crest Hill bicycle accident occurred early Monday (December 9, 2019) morning. This Crest Hill bicycle accident was a “hit & run” collision, i.e. a vehicle hit the bicyclist and then the driver left the accident scene.

Details regarding the reason for this crash are not publicly available at this time. The “hit & run” driver involved in this Crest Hill bicycle accident has not been apprehended at this time.

According to Crest Hill Police, the bicycle accident occurred shortly before 4 a.m. At the time of the collision, the bicyclist was riding home from Anthony’s Restaurant & Pub near Louis Joliet Mall. The accident happened in the 2400 block of Plainfield Road. The bicyclist was found by another motorist along the side of the road.

Police found the bicyclist with serious, life-threatening injuries. He was taken to AMITA Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet for treatment of his accident injuries.

The bicyclist was identified as Dennis Ledenbach, Jr., 46, of Joliet. Among his injuries was brain damage. He was on life support and subsequently passed away.

Those with information concerning this Crest Hill bicycle accident are asked to contact Crest Hill Police Investigator Joel Steen 815-741-5115. Tips can be left on an anonymous basis with Will County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-323-6734.

Additional details and possible updates concerning this “hit & run” accident can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the December 15, 2019 The Herald-News article titled “Injured cyclist dies after apparent hit-and-run” as well as the December 12 Joliet Patch article titled “Joliet Hit-And-Run Victim On Life Support.”

Further discussion of bicycle accidents, especially those that have occurred in Will County, can be seen on the “Bicycle Accidents In Will County” page. As discussed on that page – and seen in various Will County bicycle accidents – such bike accidents often result in serious injuries. Many such injuries are life-threatening, which in many cases have led to a fatality.

There was a fatal bicycle accident Wednesday (February 28, 2018) afternoon.  The accident involved a boy being struck by a vehicle while he was riding his tricycle.

Details on the accident appear limited.  The reasons for the fatal crash are under investigation.

However, as seen in the Joliet Patch article of March 2, 2018 (“Little Boy Dies After Car Hits Tricycle“) the accident happened on the East Side (the 600 block of Landau) in the afternoon.  The boy was identified as Mateo Alvarez, 3, of Joliet.

He was taken to Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox for treatment of his accident injuries.  According to the Will County Coroner’s Office he was pronounced dead at 3:52 p.m.

Additional details and possible updates concerning this fatal Will County bicycle accident can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the article mentioned above.

Bicycle accidents remain a problematical aspect of traffic safety.  These accidents are particularly concerning as they can lead to a wide range of accident injuries.  While such injuries vary in their severity, it is common for such injuries to be serious in nature, and many are life-threatening if not fatal.

On this site various aspects of Will County bicycle crashes – including both medical issues as well as legal issues – are discussed on the “Bicycle Accidents In Will County” page.  A critically important issue – that of what to do if you have been injured during a crash – are also discussed.  As mentioned on the page, for many reasons it is very important to attend to the resulting medical condition and legal issues as soon as possible after the injuries occur.  It is highly recommended that accident injuries are thoroughly assessed by a medical professional.   These assessments are typically conducted in a hospital emergency room (ER.)

Also, the “Will County Bicycle Accidents” page mentions statistics regarding recent crashes, as well as the reasons for their occurrence.  An excerpt from this page:

While some bicycling accident injuries are relatively minor, such as scrapes, “road rash” and contusions, many bike accidents can cause serious injuries. Common serious bike accident injuries include bone fractures, back injuries, face trauma, chest trauma, and head trauma, including traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Many serious bicycle accidents end in the death of the bicyclist.

Additionally, individual Will County accidents that have resulted in injuries or fatalities have been summarized in posts found under the “bicycle accidents” category.

Additional details concerning these topics can be seen in the sources mentioned above.

There was a bicycle accident Tuesday night (June 21, 2016) in Morris, IL after which two bicyclists died.

The Grundy County Coroner’s Offices says the accident happened at approximately 7:00 p.m., in the 4500 block of Old Stage Road.  At that time, the westbound bicyclists were struck from behind by an SUV driven by a 16-year-old teenager from Morris.

The two people riding their bicycles were identified as Mark and Janice Wendling of Morris.  Mark Wendling was pronounced dead at the accident scene by the Grundy County Coroner.  Janice Wendling was airlifted from the accident scene, but died from her accident injuries shortly after being taken to Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove.

Both Mark and Janice Wendling were wearing bicycle helmets at the time of the accident.

The driver of the SUV was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.

An excerpt from the June 22, 2016 The Herald-News article titled “Morris couple dies after being hit by vehicle“:

The investigation continues by the Grundy County Coroner’s Office, Grundy County Sheriff’s Office and DuPage County Coroner’s Office.

Additional details and possible updates can be seen in a variety of media sources, including The Herald-News article mentioned above, as well as the June 22 abc7chicago.com article (with video and remembrances) titled “Morris teacher, husband killed while riding bicycles.”

Bicycling accidents often lead to traumatic injuries, due to a number of factors.  While there are many steps that bicyclists can take to minimize the potential of accidents and injuries, one way to lessen the risk of a head injury is to wear a bicycle helmet.  While head injuries vary in severity, any head injury should be taken very seriously, due to potential short-term and longer-term health implications.  Head injuries, including traumatic brain injuries, is further discussed on this “Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)” page.

Recently there was a bicycle accident in Romeoville in which the bicyclist sustained various major injuries.  The accident happened on January 27, 2016, and is discussed in the January 29, 2016 Bolingbrook Patch article titled “Bicyclist Traveling Against Traffic Struck By Car.”

An excerpt from the article:

Romeoville Police Commander John Ferdinardo said the man was traveling southbound on Route 53 at around 12:24 p.m., but was going against traffic.

A car was traveling northbound when the bicyclist cut in front of the female driver and she struck him, Ferdinardo said.

The bicyclist was taken to the hospital for treatment of injuries including head injuries, broken ribs and a broken arm.

Additional details can be seen in the Bolingbrook Patch article mentioned above.

There was a fatal bicycle accident Wednesday night (November 11, 2015) in Joliet.

Details on the accident – and especially its causes – appear limited at this time.

According to Joliet Police, the accident happened when a man riding a bicycle was struck by a vehicle at E. Washington St. and South Boulder Avenue.

The bicyclist, who died after being taken to Silver Cross Hospital, was identified by the Will County Coroner’s Office as Raul Weeks, 57, of Joliet.

An excerpt from the Joliet Patch article of November 12, 2015, titled “Man Killed While Riding Bicycle In Joliet“:

Police said no tickets were issued at the scene and the incident is still under investigation.

Additional details and possible updates concerning this fatal Will County accident can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the Joliet Patch article mentioned above, as well as the November 12 wjol.com article titled “Joliet Man Struck While Riding Bicycle; Dies At Hospital.”

There was a bicycle accident early Thursday evening (September 17, 2015) in Plainfield.  This accident involved a vehicle striking an 8-year-old boy who was riding his bicycle along 119th Street.

An excerpt from the Romeoville Patch article of September 18, 2015, titled “8-Year-Old Plainfield Boy Struck By Car“:

The child was riding his bike shortly after 5 p.m. Thursday when he attempted to cross 119th St. going north.

Fisher said the boy rode across lanes of eastbound traffic and was struck by a car traveling westbound.

The boy was first taken to Rush-Copley Medical Center in Aurora, then transferred to Loyola Hospital.  His accident injuries included broken arms, head trauma and injuries to his face.

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

There was a fatal Will County bicycle accident early Sunday morning (December 7, 2014) in Wilmington Township.

Details on this fatal bicycle accident appear limited at this time.

An excerpt from the December 7, 2014 The Herald-News article titled “Bicyclist struck, killed in Wilmington Township“:

The man was riding a bicycle on West Frontage Road just south of Lorenzo Road in Wilmington Township when he was struck by a vehicle, the coroner’s office said Sunday. The Illinois State Police are investigating.

According to the Will County Coroner’s Office, the man was later pronounced dead after being taken to Presence St. Joseph Medical Center for treatment of accident injuries.

There was a fatal Will County bicycle accident early Thursday morning (September 4, 2014) in Lockport.

According to Lockport Police, the bicycle accident happened at 5:01 a.m. Thursday in the 14000 block of New Avenue.

The traffic collision involved a car striking the bicyclist.

The bicyclist was taken by Lockport Township paramedics to Silver Cross Hospital, where he died from his injuries.  According to the Will County Coroner’s Office, he was identified as Jeffery T. Flowers, 51, of Joliet.

The driver of the car was identified only as being a 19 years old.

Additional details and possible updates can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the September 4, 2014 The Herald-News article titled “Bicyclist killed in early-morning Lockport crash” as well as the September 5 Joliet Patch article titled “Bicyclist Killed in Crash in Lockport.”

There was a fatal bicycling accident in Will County on Saturday, August 9, 2014.

According to Will County Forest Preserve Police, the accident happened just before 11:00 a.m. on the Hickory Street Junction Trail (Will County Forest Preserve) trail.  At that time, a man riding a bicycle went to pass a jogger, then swerved to avoid hitting an oncoming bicyclist.  In doing so, the man fell off his bicycle and hit the back of his head on the pavement.  At the time of the accident the man was not wearing a helmet.

The man was identified as Vaidas Varpucanskis, 42, of Mokena.

According to the Will County Coroner’s Office, he was pronounced dead at 11:38 a.m. at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox.

An excerpt from the Chicago Tribune article of August 11, 2014, titled “Mokena man dies after bike crash on Will County trail” quoting Will County Forest Preserve Police Lt. Tracy Chapman:

“We recommend everybody wears their helmets while riding bikes,” Chapman said, adding that others have died while biking on forest preserve trails without helmets.

Additional details and possible updates can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the Chicago Tribune article mentioned above as well as the August 11 Mokena Patch article titled “Mokena Man Crashes Bike on Will County Trail, Dies.”