7 People Rushed To Hospital After Crash On DuSable Lake Shore Drive Near North Avenue

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Seven people – including four children – were rushed to the hospital Sunday afternoon in a crash on DuSable Lake Shore Drive in the Gold Coast.

As CBS 2's Steven Graves reported, the crash happened on the northbound Drive just south of North Avenue around 6:25 p.m. traffic on the Drive was finally flowing again after dark, after it had to be stopped until police could clear the way.

At least one child and one adult were seriously hurt, according to the Chicago Fire Department. Meanwhile, one neighbor said the crash was like nothing he had sever seen or heard before.

Sounds of sirens were heard as police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks sped up DuSable Lake Shore Drive - halting traffic for the serious crash.

"Very rarely would you see all of the cars being stopped - stopping right there," said Abhishek Srivastiva.

Citizen app video and several tweets showed the traffic backup.

Srivastiva was one of many in the Gold Coast watching and listening from his apartment window,
near the LaSalle Drive exit just north of North Avenue.

"There was this low, deep thump sound," Srivastiva said.

And it was the type of sound where he knew something was wrong.

"I've lived here long enough that I know the sounds of Lake Shore Drive, and that was just a different sound," Srivastiva said.

He walked out to witness the aftermath with a crowd of neighbors.

"Just shocked, because honestly like, whoever lives here has never seen that happen before," Srivastiva said.

Chicago Police say three vehicles were involved. They said one Dodge crashed into another, and one of them then hit a Lexus.

Our cameras captured crews towing two vehicles away around an hour after the crash - including a sport-utility vehicle that appeared to be broadsided, with its side to oncoming traffic.

We know paramedics transported seven people to nearby hospitals. Two were almost killed - one of them a child.

Three other children were injured, but should recover. The children were all taken to Lurie Children's Hospital.

A total of three adults were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

"This thing just kind of makes you really feel about the people who are hurt," Srivastiva said.

It was unclear Sunday night whether speed was a factor, of if the children or adults were buckled up safely.

Police were investigating Sunday night.

In:
• DuSable Lake Shore Drive
• Gold Coast
• North Avenue