One killed, seven injured in a four-vehicle collision, CBS 2’s Jim Williams reports.
Chicago police, firefighters and paramedics responded about 6:00 p.m. Monday July 24, 2017 to a multiple-injury crash involving four vehicles on the northbound lanes of Lake Shore Drive at Lawrence Avenue.
Chicago Fire Department Truck 22’s crew on arrival requested an EMS Plan 1 by 6:04 p.m. Traffic was gridlocked on the northbound lanes, so fire units began responding southbound in the northbound lanes north of the crash scene. A bystander was performing CPR on the driver of one of the vehicles.
Battalion Chief 9 requested an Advanced Life Support engine at 6:13 p.m., and initially reported nine people injured at 6:14 p.m.
Battalion Chief 9 then reported that four patients were transported Code Red, one patient was transported Code Yellow, and three patients were transported Code Green.
In summary, one woman was killed and seven people were injured in the multi-vehicle crash. The woman who died was transported to Illinois Masonic Medical Center.
Police said a Chevy, driven by a woman, was traveling southbound on Lake Shore Drive and crossed the median into the oncoming northbound lanes. After crossing the median, Chevy struck three vehicles just before 6:00 p.m.
Seven other people were injured and transported to area hospital, police said.
Video taken of the aftermath showed the frantic effort by bystanders to help a trapped victim out of a car.
Police said they believe speed, while the driver attempted to change lanes, was a factor in the crash. An investigation by the Major Accidents Unit is ongoing.
Both sides of Lake Shore Drive were shut down between West Foster Avenue and West Montrose Avenue after the crash. Southbound lanes re-opened shortly before 9:15 p.m. and the northbound lanes re-opened early Tuesday morning after the onscene phase of the crash investigation was completed.
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