A 36-year-old woman was struck and killed by a semi early last Tuesday morning, after stopping her vehicle on the Tri-State Tollway to check for a flat tire, the Chicago Breaking News Center reported.
The Chicago trucking accident occurred shortly after midnight. The victim was southbound on I-294 when she pulled over at Rexford Road in Alsip to check for a flat tire on the passenger side of her vehicle, according to the Illinois State Police.
Moments later, a semi struck her and side-swiped the driver’s side of her vehicle, police reported. The Frankfurt woman was identified by the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
Police reported that drugs or alcohol are not believed to be a factor in the accident, which remains under investigation. The semi driver was being questioned on Tuesday but was not under arrest.
In 2008, a total of 135 pedestrians were killed in Illinois traffic accidents and more than 5,400 were injured –accounting for about 15 percent of all Illinois traffic fatalities.
A total of 14,632 Illinois trucking accidents were reported in 2008. More than 12,000 occurred in large urban areas, primarily Chicago. Illinois accidents involving semi tractor-trailers killed 115 and injured 2,940. Eight of the deaths and 30 of the injuries involved Illinois pedestrians, according to IDOT.
As reported earlier this month on our Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer blog, Scott’s Law mandates that motorists move over for stopped law enforcement or safety vehicles.
Moving into an outside lane whenever possible is also a good way to help ensure the safety of motorists in or around stranded or disabled vehicles at the side of the road.