Hit-and-run collision leaves two people dead

Any type of car accident in Illinois has the potential to cause injuries or fatalities. There are simply far too many factors and variables in any given accident to determine how things will play out. However, no matter how the accident occurred or who was at fault, all parties are required to remain at the scene as the accident investigation and report are completed. When a hit-and-run occurs, the circumstances of a car accident can become much more complicated.

That appears to be the case in a recent accident, which occurred in the early morning hours on November 15. According to the reports, a Ford Fusion was speeding as it was being driven off of the Dan Ryan Expressway in Chicago and, as it approached 71st Street, it slammed into an SUV. After the collision, the SUV rolled toward a gas station, causing some witnesses in the area to fear that it would hit the station’s gas pumps and cause an explosion. Luckily, that did not occur. However, the two men in the SUV suffered severe injuries. Although they were transported to a nearby hospital for medical care, they did not survive.

Meanwhile, the driver of the Ford Fusion, who apparently survived the collision, exited the vehicle and fled the scene on foot. A state police officer who was near the scene when the collision occurred attempted to chase down the fleeing driver, but that driver remained unaccounted for in the hours after the collision as the investigation began. There was a blood trail from the scene, and law enforcement officials put out a description of the driver for the public at large to help.

If this hit-and-run driver is located, that individual will be facing criminal charges, but may also be facing a civil lawsuit as well. The families of the two men who died in the collision may have solid legal claims to attempt to recover financial compensation.