Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
A 27-year-old man has been arrested on charges of reckless homicide and aggravated DUI after authorities say his action caused a deadly Chicago Transit Authority crash this month.
It was the second such accident to happen in a single week.
Chicago personal injury lawyers are aware that CTA buses average one accident every single day, according to records kept by the Federal Transit Administration.
While not all of these instances result in injury or death, it is a risk riders take every time they get on a city train or bus. And a risk motorists and pedestrians take whenever they are traveling in close proximity to these large buses.
According to The Associated Press, the incident involving the 27-year-old happened early Sunday morning on the city’s South Side. Police say the CTA bus was heading southbound, while a vehicle heading north bound crossed over into the bus lane and hit it. The driver’s 31-year-old passenger was killed.
A number of passengers were on the bus as well, though all of them refused medical treatment, and none were taken to the hospital.
The AP reported that in addition to the homicide and DUI charges the driver faces, he was also cited for speeding, failing to stay in his lane and not having a license or insurance.
Another incident unfolded Thursday when a car was struck by a train on the CTA’s Blue Line.
Mass delays were reported when a car jumped a retaining wall on the Eisenhower Expressway on the West Side. The newspaper reported the car rammed into a retaining wall, landed on the tracks and was struck by a train. It took crews more than three hours to repair the damage and get the tracks back in working order once again.
According to the Chicago Tribune, there had been 30 passengers on the train at the time of the accident Thursday, and seven had to be transported to the hospital.
The driver of the car was able to get out before the train hit, but two passengers who had been inside were not able to escape. They were also transported to the hospital for treatment, though it does not appear their injuries were life-threatening.
It may seem that incidents such as these are rare. But in fact, the FTA has determined that Chicago’s public transportation system has some serious safety flaws. Fox Chicago News has reported that our public bus systems have more crashes than any of the nine other largest public bus systems in the nation. In fact, there is at least one crash every single day involving CTA buses.
In 2010, CTA officials said they were not happy with those numbers, and vowed to change them. They said they would focus on training their drivers, specifically on defensive driving techniques.
It’s unclear whether the department has followed through with that strategy, but what is obvious is that these type of accidents continue to occur.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the CTA is the second-largest public transportation system in the country, and covers more than 40 suburbs. On any given day during the week, the CTA picks up nearly 2 million riders, and there are more than 2,000 buses that operate on more than 150 routes over more than 2,200 miles. That breaks down to 12,000 bus stops – and countless opportunities for injuries.
If you or your child has been injured in a Chicago Transit Authority accident, the injury attorneys and wrongful death lawyers at Abels & Annes offer free consultations to discuss your rights. Call (866) 99-ABELS. There is no fee unless you win.
Additional Information:
Man charged with DUI after crash with CTA bus, The Chicago Tribune
More Blog Entries:
Fatal Pedestrian Accident in Chicago Highlights Risk