A Chicago semi accident claimed the life of a 6-year-old boy and critically injured his father in a Friday afternoon accident on the South Side, WBBM News reported.
The semi was southbound on South Ashland Avenue when it struck the victims as they attempted to cross the street between West 18th and West 19th streets shortly after 3 p.m. The Chicago Tribune reported the semi was traveling cab-only, and was not towing a trailer at the time of the accident.
Father and son were both transported to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County.
The child was pronounced dead at 3:38 p.m., according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office. The 45-year-old man remained hospitalized in critical condition over the weekend.
The 67-year-old truck driver, of Fortville, Indiana, was ticketed for striking a pedestrian in the roadway, according to police. No additional charges are expected.
Police say the victims were hit as they attempted to cross the street at an intersection that lacks signs, stoplights or other traffic control devices. The street was closed for several hours while police investigated.
The boy was a student at Cooper Elementary School, which is just a block east of the intersection and lets out at 3 p.m. A retired police officer who witnesses the accident questioned why no crossing guards were posted at the intersection, which he said gets busy after school.
There were 14,632 Illinois semi accidents in 2008, which killed 115 people and injured 2,940, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. Eight pedestrians were killed and 30 more were injured in Illinois accidents involving semis.