Fatal: suspected wrong-way crash on US-12 (Rand Road) north of Euclid Avenue in Arlington Heights on Monday night, September 2, 2024 around 10:04 p.m. (CARDINAL NEWS) YouTube Tips ⓘ
The second fatal crash in six days occurred Monday night (Labor Day), September 2, 2024 at or near the intersection of US-12 (Rand Road) and Euclid Avenue near the border of Arlington Heights and Mount Prospect.
Police officers from Arlington Heights and Mount Prospect; and firefighters and paramedics from Mount Prospect responded about 10:04 p.m. Monday, September 2, 2024 to a report of a crash with injuries and a vehicle fire at Rand Road and Euclid Avenue in Arlington Heights. Police, firefighters and paramedics responding were told that one person may have still been inside a burning car. That driver — a 21 year-old male resident of Des Plaines — died in his Dodge Challenger.
Police, firefighters, and paramedics discovered a blue or purple Dodge Challenger on fire with severe damage. A male driver was found dead inside the vehicle as the vehicle fire was extinguished and smoke cleared from the vehicle. Further north, firefighters and paramedics discovered a white SUV on the eastbound side of US-12 off the road with severe front-end damage. One vehicle occupant was trapped on the driver’s side. The white SUV was not on fire. During extrication of the person in the SUV, a paramedic started an apparent intravenous line, as a firefighter/paramedic was seen holding what appeared to be a 1000 ml IV solution bag.
A person at the scene told CARDINAL NEWS that a motorcyclist witness saw a passenger rescued by a citizen from the white SUV before rescuers arrived. However, CARDINAL NEWS only saw one crash victim — the one patient being extricated from the driver’s side of the white SUV, including the use of a cutter/spreader tool. Once extrication was complete, Mount Prospect Fire Department Ambulance 13’s crew transported their patient from the white SUV to Level 1 Trauma Center Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge.
The motorcyclist witness also told someone at the scene that the driver of the Dodge Challenger was westbound on US-12 and was attempting to be involved in some type of interaction with the motorcyclist and another motorcyclist, and a driver of a Volkswagen Golf GTI. The motorcyclist witness told the person at the scene that the driver of the Dodge Challenger sped off to pass the GTI and the two motorcycles, and drove into the oncoming lanes of US-12 EAST. That’s when a head-on collision and fire occurred, involving the blue/purple Dodge Challenger and the white SUV. The area of impact was a significant distance southeast of the location where the two wrecked vehicles came to rest. The engine compartment hood of the Dodge Challenger was located in the westbound lanes of US-12 near the northeast corner with Euclid Avenue, and about 140 feet from the white SUV, located on the eastbound parkway to the northwest. Also, the Dodge Challenger hood was located a distance of about 110 feet from the resting spot of the Dodge Challenger, according to Google satellite measurement estimates.
The younger motorcyclist was about to speak with CARDINAL NEWS about what he saw, but the older motorcyclist ordered him way, and said “let’s go”, and they sped off. The younger motorcyclist just got their motorcycle a few days ago, according to the person who spoke with the motorcyclist.
At least two witness reported hearing engines revving up or something that sounded like “drag racing” or street racing in the area, immediately before the crash.
The crash was initially thought to be a Mount Prospect incident similar to the fatal Mount Prospect crash last Tuesday, August 27, 2024. However, the crash was in the eastbound lanes of US-12 north of Euclid Avenue, which placed the crash in the jurisdiction of Arlington Heights.
The Major Case Assistance Team Serious Traffic Accident Reconstruction (MCAT-STAR) unit was assigned to assist the Arlington Heights Police Department with the investigation.
The Speed Limit on US-12 is 45 MPH northwest of the intersection with Euclid Avenue. The Speed Limit on US-12 is 40 MPH southeast of the intersection with Euclid Avenue.
The Speed Limit on Euclid Avenue is 40 MPH east of the intersection with US-12, and the Speed Limit is 35 MPH west of the intersection with US-12.
US-12 has a painted median about 12 feet wide, and the white paint marking indicating the start of the left turn lane begins about 160 feet before the intersection with Euclid Avenue.
Approximate Impact Location
Initially, it is unknown whether the alleged wrong-way driver was in one of the two eastbound lanes of US-12 or the eastbound left turn lane from US-12 to eastbound Euclid Avenue when the crash occurred.
The information in this article is an early report published before any summary information was confirmed or released by police or fire authorities.
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