Chicago, IL – One Dead, One Critical When Motorcyclist Hits Pedestrian on W. Irving Park Rd

Chicago, IL (May 21, 2022) – Two people were injured, one critically, one fatally, when a motorcyclist struck a pedestrian as he attempted to cross the street on Thursday, May 19th in the suburb of Portage Park on the city’s Northwest Side.

According to Chicago police who responded to the scene, the pedestrian, a 46-year-old man, was crossing the street in the 5600th block of West Irving Park Road at about 10:50 p.m. when he was hit by a motorcycle rider traveling westbound.

He was transported by EMTs to Illinois Masonic Medical Center. He was pronounced dead a short while later.

The motorcycle operator, a 35-year-old man, was also transferred to Illinois Masonic Medical Center with critical injuries.

The Major Accidents Unit is investigating the cause of the collision.

We would like to offer our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased victim at this time. Our thoughts are with the injured victim and his family in hopes of a full recovery.

Causes of Pedestrian Collisions in Illinois

The leading cause of pedestrians being struck and injured by motor vehicles in Chicago and other cities across Illinois is unquestionably distracted driving. A disproportionate number of drivers are preoccupied with sending text messages or making phone calls and fail to pay attention to their surroundings. As a result, they frequently fail to notice pedestrians by the roadside or in a crosswalk, creating ideal conditions for an accident.

Many pedestrian accidents stem from something referred to as inattentional blindness. This is when a person fails to recognize an easily perceptible but unanticipated stimulus due to their lack of awareness rather than any visual deficits or defects. Simply put, a driver might clearly see a pedestrian, but because they are distracted, the danger doesn’t register and they fail to react by changing lanes, slowing down, or coming to a stop.

The crux of almost all pedestrian injury claims is who had the right of way. As state law indicates, drivers in Illinois are required to yield to pedestrians when they are turning at an intersection. This includes a legal turn made by the driver after they have come to a full stop at a stop sign, flashing red signal, or red light. Illinois law also states that pedestrians have the right of way under the following circumstances:

• They are in a marked crosswalk or a child is in close proximity to a crosswalk in a school zone crosswalk
• They are an unmarked crosswalk on the righthand side of the road and no traffic control signals are present
• They are obeying a walk signal or crossing on a green light

• They enter or leave the roadway from an alley, private road, or driveway
• They enter an intersection displaying a flashing yellow arrow
• They enter a crosswalk prior to the light changing

When drivers choose to disregard the rules, drive too close to pedestrians, and fail to stop or yield, serious pedestrian collisions can happen. If a driver’s negligent behavior resulted in injuries to you or a family member, you need to take immediate action to protect your rights and pursue the financial compensation you are owed.

Please reach out to the D&W Law Group at 312-888-8888 to schedule a free and confidential consultation that is tailored to your specific needs. Our committed and compassionate pedestrian injury lawyers in Chicago are prepared to help you in securing justice along with the full compensation you are entitled to as quickly as possible.

Note: Our team of writers uses secondary sources including news reports, police accident reports, social media posts, and sometimes, eyewitness accounts to compose these posts. Our firm has not independently verified any of the facts surrounding this particular accident, therefore, if you locate any information that is not correct, please let us know right away. We will correct the post to reflect the most accurate information available. We will remove a post upon request. 

Disclaimer: This is not a solicitation for business.  The information provided in this post is not intended to be legal advice or medical advice. If you or a loved one is injured in an accident, always seek medical assistance as soon as possible. The photo used in this post was not taken at the described accident scene.