A pregnant woman was among two people critically injured in a Chicago car accident on Thursday. News Radio 780 reported one person may have died in the rollover accident, which involved multiple vehicles on the city’s Northwest Side.
The crash happened about 5:30 a.m. at West Devon and North Nagle avenues, according to CBS2 Chicago.
A white delivery van, which is registered to Michele Baking Co., on Mannheim Road in Franklin Park, remained on its side hours after the wreck.
Rollover accidents account for half of all deaths in SUVs, one-third of truck fatalities and 20 percent of all fatal car accidents, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Passenger vans and SUVs are much more likely to flip than passenger vehicles. The federal government reports that about 10,000 people each year are injured or killed in such rollover accidents.
Two people in critical condition were taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge in critical condition.
The Major Accident Investigation Unit, which investigates fatal accidents, is handling the investigation, though police have not said whether a fatality was involved.
Gynecologists advise any pregnant woman who has been in a car accident — no matter how minor — to seek medical attention. In fact, a blow to the abdomen of any kind should be evaluated by a doctor, according to Baby Center.
Gynecologists also recommend that pregnant women wear their seat belt — death of the mother is the leading cause of fetal death in accidents.
The site also offers pregnant travelers a contact sheet, which can tell medical personnel how to contact loved ones, doctors and other medical providers who are familiar with you and your pregnancy.