Hillside, IL – A tragic accident in Hillside, Illinois, left a 78-year-old pedestrian dead and several people injured, including two police officers, after a 73-year-old man lost control of his SUV and crashed into a Walgreens parking lot Wednesday afternoon, officials said.
Crash Details
The incident occurred around 12:30 p.m. in the 4700 block of Butterfield Road. Authorities said the driver, operating a Hyundai Genesis SUV, may have suffered a medical emergency, causing him to lose control of the vehicle. Preliminary reports indicate he may have been traveling at a high rate of speed.
Eyewitnesses from nearby businesses described the chaos. Cynthia Cameron said, “All of a sudden we heard this loud impact and this guy spun around… just lost control and kept hitting cars.” Similarly, Denise Roy, a nearby resident, said, “Super scary, I heard it before I saw it.”
Vehicles and Pedestrian Impact
Officials reported that the driver initially struck a police squad car waiting at a red light at LaVergne and Butterfield, continued down Butterfield, striking multiple parked vehicles, and finally ended up in the Walgreens parking lot.
Tragically, the pedestrian killed was a 78-year-old man using a walker, who was on a sidewalk ramp at the corner of the parking lot. Officials said the SUV struck him as it careened into the lot.
Injuries and Emergency Response
Multiple people were injured in the crash. Two police officers, inside the squad car struck by the SUV, were seriously injured and transported to Loyola Medical Center for treatment. Additional victims were taken to Loyola and Elmhurst Hospitals, with some in serious condition and others with less severe injuries.
Authorities said nine ambulances responded to the scene to transport the injured. Hillside Police Chief Dan Murphy praised the officers’ heroic efforts:
“When I arrived on scene, the two officers that were just involved in the accident, one of them was performing CPR on our pedestrian … trying to do life saving measure of him before we could get the fire department. And the other officer was trying to control traffic and everything else on the scene.”
Investigation and Road Closures
Village officials announced that the intersection of Butterfield and Wolf Roads will remain closed for the remainder of the day as authorities investigate the crash. Preliminary reports suggest that the driver was not intoxicated, but he is undergoing further medical evaluation and tests to confirm the cause of the incident.
Authorities are also reviewing traffic camera footage, witness statements, and vehicle data to determine the exact sequence of events that led to the crash.
Community Response
The crash has left the Hillside community shaken, with residents and business owners expressing shock at the severity of the incident. Officials continue to urge caution in busy intersections and stressed the importance of checking for pedestrians, particularly in areas with heavy foot traffic and parking lots.
Do you think additional safety measures, such as speed-reducing barriers or pedestrian protections, should be added at busy intersections like Butterfield and Wolf? Share your thoughts and suggestions for preventing similar tragedies in the comments below.
