2 Seniors Killed, Driver Critically Injured In Crash Outside Midlothian Driver's Service Facility
MIDLOTHIAN, Ill. (CBS) -- An elderly brother and sister were killed Wednesday afternoon when a driver who was also elderly struck two pedestrians in a parking lot in south suburban Midlothian, and then crashed into an Illinois Secretary of State's Office driver's service facility.
The driver was critically injured.
Midlothian Police said around 1 p.m., officers and firefighters responded to reports of a crash in the Secretary of State's office parking lot near 144th Street and Pulaski Road.
Officers discovered an elderly man who was driving in the parking lot "began to suffer from a medical event," causing him to accelerate, crash into several parked cars, strike two elderly pedestrians, and then crash into the driver's service facility.
The driver and both pedestrians were taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in critical condition. Two people - Kathleen Coyne, 75, of Hometown, and Thomas Coyne, 80, of Oak Lawn - were later pronounced dead, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office.
As CBS 2's Asal Rezaei reported, the windows of the storefront housing the Secretary of State's facility were boarded up from the damage Wednesday night. A makeshift support column was put in place to support the building after a permanent column was wrecked in the crash.
Meanwhile, some longtime neighbors reported Kathleen and Thomas Coyne were brother and sister.
Those neighbors said they were devastated by the loss.
"Very shocked," said Mike Bragg.
"I cried all afternoon," said Karen Bragg.
Mike and Karen Bragg have been Tom Coyne's neighbors for more than 30 years.
"He's the neighbor everybody would love to have," said Mike Bragg.
They said Tom Coyne just recently began using a walker, which could be seen at the scene of the crash near a pair of shoes.
While the Braggs don't know much about Tom's sister, Kathleen, they said their heart goes out to his daughter, Lori, and the rest of the family.
"I just pray that I can be there for Lori and her family through all this," said Karen Bragg. "This is a hard time."
"We lost a good neighbor and good friend," said Mike Bragg.
The South Suburban Accident Reconstruction Team is investigating.
