Wheeling, Illinois, police say that one of their officers struck and killed a pedestrian on Sep. 14, as they were attempting to engage a vehicle suspected of a traffic violation. The accident occurred in north suburban Wheeling, Illinois, around 5:45 a.m. as the 20-year-old victim attempted to cross McHenry Road while on foot.
According to the deputy chief of the Wheeling Police Department, the officer who struck the victim was a 22-year veteran of the force who had not yet turned on his emergency lights or siren as he attempted to maneuver toward a westbound driver whom he suspected of committing a traffic violation. A neighbor who witnessed the accident corroborated the absence of emergency lights and siren. The officer has since been suspended with pay indefinitely. The Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team is conducting the investigation of the accident.
The victim’s brother said that the young man was hard-working and had come to the Chicago area about two years ago to help earn money to send back home to Mexico. An attorney now representing the victim’s family said that young man was leaving a friend’s house and attempting to get to his car when he was struck and killed.
If you are an Illinois resident injured as the result of a car accident, or the family member of a person killed in such an event you may be entitled to sue the parties responsible for your losses.
In many cases a crash reconstruction may be necessary to demonstrate which party was at fault for the accident. In other cases involving impaired or reckless drivers sometimes key witness testimony is sufficient to show liability. Either way, evidence regarding the crash degrades quickly over time. You should act soon to ensure the best possible outcome for any potential case.