By the early hours of the morning, many people in Chicago are safe in their beds and catching up on sleep. Although some may be out at work or others engaged with acquaintances for social engagements, the hours after midnight and before sunrise tend to be less hectic than commute hours on Chicago-area roadways.
Despite the presence of generally lighter traffic, car accidents still do happen in the early hours of the day. A young woman in her twenties was recently killed when two cars crashed into a building in Washington Heights a little after 2 o’clock in the morning. Four other individuals were seriously injured in the crash which occurred on South Sangamon Street, though none of the deceased or injured victims were believed to be in the building that was struck.
While most car accidents generally result in damages to personal property such as vehicles and the small items carried in them, this accident likely may have caused damages to a much larger item of property: a building. The owner of the building may have a right to seek financial recovery against the responsible party or parties who caused the accident in the event the building sustained damages.
Just like victims who suffered physical injuries and who will have to cover their medical expenses and other losses, victims who suffer property damages have the right to be made whole. As investigators sort out the details of why two cars left South Sangamon Street and caused an impact with a building, the victims recovering from the physical and property damages will have to wait to learn the identity of the person or people who caused them injuries.
Source: Chicago Tribune, “1 dead, 4 badly hurt during Far South Side crash,” Rosemary Regina Sobol, May 19, 2013