For many Chicago residents, garbage trucks on the roads are a necessary nuisance. While it is great that they take away trash and keep local neighborhoods clean, they can be slow and obstructive for faster moving traffic.
A garbage truck based out of Skokie was involved in a collision with a small sedan at the intersection of Harlem and Harrison in Glenview. The car pulled out in front of the truck which then collided with the smaller vehicle and caused both the sedan and the garbage truck to catch fire. Though the driver of the garbage truck was uninjured, the three individuals traveling in the smaller car were killed.
A witness to the crash tried to aid those in the vehicles by using a fire extinguisher on the blaze but that individual was unable to do much before succumbing to the conditions and having to be taken to the hospital for treatment. Representatives for Skokie have stated that the driver of the garbage truck did not cause the accident.
An accident investigation into this matter will very likely occur in order to figure out how such a tragic loss of life occurred in such a short period of time. While auto accidents are common in the Chicago area, incidents involving multiple fatalities and fire are significantly rarer and substantially more terrifying than everyday fender benders.
The family members of the deceased victims will have to work through their pain and suffering in light of this terrible accident. Depending upon the determination of accident investigators, those family members or the truck driver may have the legal right to sue the responsible party for damages. Though this accident exemplifies one of the worst possible outcomes of a traffic collision, it may make anyone who has been in an accident consider his legal options toward recovering for his injuries.
Source: CBS 2 News, “Three Killed In Glenview Garbage Truck Crash,” Oct. 15, 2013
