Municipal Worker Blamed For Deadly Suburban Crash
UPDATED 02/04/11 7:40 a.m.
FORD HEIGHTS, Ill. (CBS) -- A Lynwood municipal worker driving the wrong way caused a multi-vehicle crash on I-394 Friday morning, which left at least one person dead.
The crash happened about 1:25 a.m. on I-394 near Lincoln Highway, Illinois State Police District Chicago Master Sergeant Joe Stangl said.
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A motorist driving northbound in the southbound lanes of Route 394 crashed into two other vehicles at Glenwood-Dyer Road, according to Illinois State Police District Chicago Trooper Ramon Coss.
The motorist was driving a municipal-owned vehicle, Illinois State Police District Chicago Trooper Ivan Bukaczyk said.
State police tell CBS 2 the driver was a municipal worker with the Village of Lynwood.
A passenger in one of the two vehicles struck by the wrong-way driver -- identified by the Cook County Medical Examiner's office as Malikah Little, 32, of the 5600 block of South Sacramento Avenue -- was killed, Illinois State Police District Chicago Master Sergeant Joe Stangl said.
Little was dead at the scene, according to the medical examiner's office.
The driver of the car in which the Little was riding was taken in critical condition to St. Margaret's Hospital in Hammond, Ind., according to Stangl. The driver of the wrong-way vehicle was taken in critical condition to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.
A helicopter was sent to the scene to transport and unspecified number of other critically injured people to area hospitals, Stangl said.
Southbound Route 394 remained closed as of 6:25 a.m., according to Bukaczyk. Traffic was being diverted at Glenwood-Dyer Road.
All lanes were expected to be reopened by about 7 a.m., Stangl said.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
