Source: Driver speeding excessively in Skokie crash that left 2 injured
SKOKIE, Ill. — At least two people were hospitalized after a crash late Friday night in north suburban Skokie.
Investigators cleared the scene Saturday morning around 8 a.m., about 12 hours later, following a lengthy overnight investigation. Members of the North Regional Major Crimes Task Force (NORTAF) Major Crash Assistance Team (MCAT) were called to the scene to assist with sifting through a large debris field and working to piece together what happened.
According to fire officials, the crash occurred around 10 p.m. near the intersection of Church Street and Keeler Avenue in Skokie.
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Four vehicles, including the vehicle of the driver that allegedly caused the crash, sustained heavy damage. After careening into a nearby yard, one of the vehicles came to rest just shy of hitting the home.
A police source told WGN-TV that the driver responsible for the crash is believed to have been traveling as fast as 100 mph on Keeler when they blew through a stop sign before slamming into multiple vehicles.
A police source said a man in his 60s, an innocent victim in the incident, was ejected from one of the vehicles hit. His condition is not clear, though officials at the scene said at least one person was seriously injured.
An update shared by Skokie police at around 10 a.m. indicated that both hospitalized drivers were in stable condition.
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'It makes me so angry. He was minding his business and now all of a sudden, he's in a really bad situation,' said Rejimon Jacob.
Jacob, who lives near the crash scene, said he was leaving for work when he heard the crash. The impact sent one parked vehicle into his son's car, which was also parked on Keeler, leaving it severely damaged.
Neighbors in the immediate area described the scene as chaotic. Everyone who spoke with WGN-TV share that they did not hear any screeching, only a loud jarring sound.
'It sounded almost like a bomb. We've had accidents on this corner of Keeler and Church every single month. It has never been this devastating,' Benita Kapnick-Cohen, who lives nearby, said.
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Capnick-Cohen told WGN-TV at the time of the crash, a handful of families were coming from a nearby synagogue, including young children.
'It was the beginning of the three-day holiday, the first being the Sabbath – Shabbat,' said Capnick-Cohen. 'Fortunately, they were coming eastbound and had it been tonight when we don't finish our dinners until 2:00 in the morning, it could have been extremely devastating. That's why we're so concerned.'
Several neighbors in the area told WGN-TV they have repeatedly asked for additional safety measures to try and prevent speeding, including increased enforcement, traffic lights, and speed bumps.
An investigation into the crash is ongoing and it is unclear if anyone was cited.
WGN-TV has reached out to Skokie police for details on the incident but has yet to hear back.
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