Chicago CTA Bus Driver Cited For Fatal Bus Crash

Multiple news outlets have reported about the Tuesday’s CTA bus crash in downtown Chicago that killed one pedestrian and seriously injuring seven others. The driver allegedly came to a stop at the red light at Lake Street while heading North on Michigan Avenue, then inexplicably, drove through the red light and ended up on the sidewalk after trying to avoid another vehicle. All of this led to the death of a woman and the multiple injuries.

The driver, who started his job with the CTA in September, was was issued two traffic citations for the crash. The driver  began his shift Tuesday at 6:20 a.m., driving the Clark Street #22 bus till 8:20 a.m., Chase said. His next shift began at 2:31 p.m. on the 152 Addison and 135 Clarendon/LaSalle routes before he started driving the 148 Clarendon/Michigan route at 5:27 p.m., about 20 minutes before the collision was reported.

The question (or elephant in the room) that needs to be answered is why in the world did the driver run that red light?  There are no red light cameras or speeder cameras at that intersection. It is possible that the camera from the bus could shed some light on the incident. Also, more than likely, there has to be surveillance cameras from the neighboring loop office buildings, including the mammoth Illinois Center. Regardless, the CTA will be seeing multiple lawsuits. One for wrongful death from the family of the deceased and the others for the personal injuries of those who survived the bus accident.

If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in a Chicago CTA bus accident or Chicago traffic accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

15 Passengers Injured This Morning On Shuttle Bus Accident Near O’Hare Airport

NBC Chicago, among other outlets, are reporting this morning that 15 passengers were injured during a shuttle bus accident on I-190 while heading in to Chicago O’Hare airport. Apparently the bus crashed into a median around 6:30 a.m. this morning, tossing passenger around in the bus. A total of 10 ambulances were called to the scene and 15 passengers were injured and taken to various hospitals around the city. Fire officials said four people were transported in critical condition, five in fair-to-serious condition, four in good condition and two people refused treatment.

Robert Gembala, another firefighter who also witnessed the crash, immediately rushed onto the bus and began assisting injured passengers.

“It was unbelievable what they did,” said firefighter Steve Siavelis, who was on the first fire truck to arrive at the scene.

Injuries varied, Sampey said, with passengers at the front of the bus experiencing the greatest impact.

“People were thrown around the bus,” he said. “Some were more critical than others.”

This is the second major accident that has happened in or around O’Hare this year. This Spring, a CTA blue line bus failed to stop when arriving at the airport and crashed up and over the tracks into an escalator. Several passengers were injured in that accident as well. Hopefully those critically injured this morning heal quickly and that there are no fatal injuries.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a Chicago bus accident or a Chicago CTA train accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.