Arlington Heights police and firefighter/paramedics responded about 7:47 PM Thursday to a crash with extrication at Douglas Avenue and Eastman Street, Arlington Heights, IL. Police and firefighter/paramedics received a report that a car crashed into a house and that a victim was inside the vehicle unconscious. On arrival firefighter/paramedics reported that a victim was trapped in the vehicle and that an extrication operation was underway.
Other witnesses at the scene reported they believed the victim was conscious and heard her screaming.
Damage the day after a small SUV crashed into a house at Douglas Ave and Eastman Street.
The victim was extricated within about 30 minutes, and was transported to Level I Trauma Center Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge.
Firefighters shut off a gas meter as a precaution. Firefighters requested Nicor to the scene, although there was no active leak at the house at the time of the request. No confirmation was available whether there was initially a leak, or if the gas was just shut off as a precaution because of a gas line at risk.
The crashed vehicle appeared to have traveled eastbound on Eastman Street, and was driven straight up a driveway into the porch of the house. The damaged house is located at the end of Eastman Street at a T-intersection with Douglas Avenue.
The porch was severely damaged and a roof support post was also taken out by the vehicle. The vehicle also appeared to have grazed a mature tree that was located to the right of the porch.
Arlington Heights police were unable to confirm whether drugs or alcohol were involved, or whether a medical issue preceded the crash.
In these weather conditions with high winds and zero-degree weather, a natural gas-fueled fire could have had tragic results. Add the possibility of a frozen hydrant or broken hydrant, the house and a neighboring house could have been destroyed, and the driver could have burned to death in her SUV. The professionalism of firefighters at the scene prevented a disaster.
Map of neighborhood of Douglas Avenue and Eastman Street …
The driver of a Honda Pilot would probably have suffered worse injuries if she would have directly hit the tree just to the right of the front porch. The collapsing porch probably absorbed some of the force of the collision.
Stay informed with news from The Cardinal’s Emergencies Behind the Scenes Facebook page — Facebook.com/CardinalEmergencies. Includes links to favorite public safety and emergency rescuers and product manufacturers and safety companies that have facebook pages. Submit your pictures or just stay up-to-date on with fire, rescue, EMS and police photo galleries. Please add your public safety photo to the wall album — go direct to the Arlington Cardinal Emergencies Behind the Scenes photos. For a list of all of The Cardinal Facebook fan pages, go to Arlingtoncardinal.com/about/facebook …