A flat tire on I-57 results in 2 killed pedestrians in Champaign

On behalf of Jeffrey Frederick of Frederick & Hagle posted in Pedestrian Accidents on Thursday, November 29, 2012.

Many residents of Champaign, Illinois, may have noticed a severe backup in traffic last night. Tragically, this back up resulted when the northbound lanes of Interstate 57 were closed for about three hours following a fatal pedestrian accident.

It appears that a driver pulled over when he was having some tire issues with his vehicle. A kindly 80-year-old man also pulled over to provide some assistance to the man with car troubles. When the pair were working together to change out the damaged tire for a spare, a tire went rolling away across the expressway. The car owner went scrambling after the tire to retrieve it when another vehicle struck the man.

The kindly old man quickly went to the aid of the car owner that was struck, but as the old man was working to drag the pedestrian back to the side of the road, yet another vehicle struck the elderly man. Tragically, the car owner was pronounced at the scene of the accident and the elderly man was transported to Carle Hospital in Champaign where he was also pronounced dead.

The crashes remain under investigation, but presently no one has received any citations. The outcome of the investigation will be crucial in determining if the families of the men that were struck are able to pursue compensation for this tragic accident.

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for pedestrians to be struck on the shoulder of roads when tending to broken down vehicles. For more information on the best methods to remain safe in similar situations, please refer back to our post on pedestrian safety and stalled vehicles.

Source: Chicago Tribune, “Pedestrian, good Samaritan killed on I-57,” Nov. 29, 2012