Fatal pedestrian accident after driver, possibly DUI, attempts to walk across I-290 West after crashing a Toyota Prius into a guardrail.
Two women exited a crashed Toyota Prius about 11:00 p.m. Friday, February 14, 2020 and attempted to cross the northbound lanes of I-290 West (Illinois Route 53). One of the women was struck by a Toyota Camry traveling northbound on I-290 West just south of Higgins Road near Olympic Park and Schaumburg Road. The other woman made it across the expressway to the left shoulder median area. The identity of the woman killed was released Saturday, February 15, 2020 as Gloria Sanchez-Perez of Des Plaines. Gloria Sanchez-Perez may have been hit while the women were calling 9-1-1 to report the crash and were simultaneously crossing the expressway lanes as pedestrians.
Fire Dispatch: After a crash, a pedestrian was hit on the expressway while still on the call with 911 or while the person she crossing with was calling 9-1-1.
Weather conditions were clear near the time of the crash, but the air temperature was bitter cold at 7°F with a wind chill of -7°F, caused by wind from the south at 10 MPH, according to the National Weather Station at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
Illinois State Police and firefighter/paramedics from Elk Grove Village and Schaumburg responded around 11:00 p.m. Friday February 14, 2020 to a report of a crash, and then a pedestrian hit by a car on Interstate 290 West (northbound Illinois Route 53).
Illinois State Police had received a report of a possible DUI or impaired driver on I-290 in the area of Elk Grove Village and Schaumburg about 10:58 p.m. Illinois State Police received a report that the “DUI” driver of a silver or gold Toyota Prius had hit a wall. Minutes later, Illinois State Troopers received a report that the Toyota Prius was crashed and that a woman was struck by a passing vehicle as she attempted to walk across I-290 West. Initially, there were some confusing reports regarding the exact location, with reports indicating the crash was near Golf Road or was on I-290 East rather than I-290 West. However, Illinois State Police troopers found the crash within minutes on I-290 West.
Illinois State Troopers reported they found a woman dead in the center lane of I-290 West (northbound Route 53). The victim was assessed by Elk Grove Village firefighter/paramedics, and her body was transported to Alexian Brothers Medical Center.
Five or six motorists, some with passengers, were involved in the accident as witnesses or were involved in the crash. Initially, it was unknown how many vehicles hit the woman or if any other vehicles crashed. Illinois State Police are investigating the accident.
Illinois State Police closed I-290 West at IL-390 and closed the on-ramps to I-290 West at Biesterfield Road for rescue operations and an extended crash investigation. Illinois State Police later opened one right lane to let a long backup of northbound traffic clear the area. I-290 West remained closed for an extended crash investigation. The five or six vehicles remained on the scene for at least part of the on-scene crash investigation.
Illinois State Police on Saturday February 15, 2020 reported that two female occupants in the Toyota Prius ran across I-290 after the Prius was crashed into a guardrail on the right shoulder. One of the women made it across the northbound lanes of I-290 West, but the other woman was hit and remained down on the ground in the center lane. There was confusion at the scene, and initially some at the scene thought there was only one person in the Prius. The guardrail provides a barrier for I-290 West from the forest preserve “Ned Brown Preserve (Busse Woods), just east of the expressway. The Toyota Prius rolled over and mangled the guardrail, but came to rest upright in the grass just off the expressway before the women got out of the Toyota Prius and attempted to walk across the expressway. The initial crash occurred where the guardrail begins along the right shoulder.
Firefighter/paramedics also searched the forest preserve with a thermal imaging camera to make sure no other victims were injured in the crash. Firefighter/paramedics soon concluded that the woman killed was the only person that was injured in the crash. Firefighters also checked the occupants of each of the other vehicles that were stopped to make sure no other vehicle occupants were injured.
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