Demands for safety improvements after another hit-and-run at DuSable Lake Shore Drive at Balbo
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Just days after a woman walking was injured in a hit-and-run crash along DuSable Lake Shore Drive, those who lost loved ones at the same intersection are calling for enhanced safety changes to be made.
As CBS 2's Charlie De Mar reported, our cameras caught one near-miss after another this past Wednesday afternoon at DuSable Lake Shore and Balbo drives. Joggers suddenly stopped in their place after cars cruised through the red light.
It was the same interaction where police said a 23-year-old woman was hit Tuesday night. The driver never stopped.
"Honestly, it just kind of took my breath away to hear that something else has happened," said Jaime Bolognone.
Bolognone knows the pain. A white ghost bike in the median honors Gerardo Marciales – the man Bolognone wanted to marry.
In February 2022, Marciales was hit and killed at the same intersection on the Drive – while riding his bike.
Ever since, Bolognone has advocated for safety enhancements at the intersection.
"It's preventable, and it doesn't need to happen," she said.
The city widened the median on DuSable Lake Shore Drive at Balbo, and added a concrete barrier. But that did not stop a driver from plowing through the median at the same intersection on Tuesday night – destroying a light pole and severely damaging Marciales' ghost bike.
"It's a complete free-for-all. More people are going to get killed," said Christina Whitehouse, a cyclist advocate with Bike Lane Uprising. "We've seen history repeat itself over and over again. "We need enforcement out there. We need people trained to actually stop at the stoplight."
Chicago Police said the 23-year-old woman hit at DuSable Lake Shore and Balbo drives Tuesday night was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital to be treated for her injuries.
Police said she was listed in fair condition hours after the crash, police said.
