At least seven people will receive organs from a teenager who died over the weekend as the result of injuries sustained in a Chicago car accident on Memorial Day, the Sun-Times reported.
As Chicago Car Accident Lawyers at our office recently reported, the 16-year-old teen died over the weekend after suffering a brain injury. The Marian High School Student died Saturday at Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. Her family decided to donate the teen’s organs because her grandfather died two decades ago while awaiting a heart transplant.
The girl had been on her way to her grandparent’s home to watch the Blackhawks playoff game on television. She was riding in a vehicle driven by her 16-year-old boyfriend when they collided with another vehicle in heavy rain, according to the Cook County Sheriff’s Office. He was westbound on Sauk Trail, west of Burnham, when he lost control of the truck. Their vehicle was hit in the passenger side by an eastbound SUV driven by a 39-year-old Manhattan man.
Passengers in the other vehicle, including the man’s wife and young child, were also injured and transported to the hospital for treatment. The teen’s boyfriend was cited for failure to reduce speed and was not seriously injured. Authorities said no charges will be filed as a result of the accident.
Through Monday, a total of 307 fatal Illinois car accidents have claimed 338 lives, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. A total of 371 people were killed during the same period a year ago.
The death of a child is always a tragedy. Unfortunately, teens are at high risk for being involved in a serious or fatal car accident through the summer months. Our Chicago injury attorneys encourage parents to talk to their children about safe driving as school lets out for summer. Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for young people ages 15 to 20, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In 2008 a total of 164 teenagers were killed in Illinois traffic accidents.