Aside from getting away from their families and trying out life as independent adults, many Chicago-area college students enjoy the freedom of getting involved with organizations that speak to them. A number of young adults choose to join fraternities and sororities in order to make friends, build their leadership skills and perform community service. Their relationships with fellow house members often last for many years after they graduate from college.
Five young men and members of the Omega Delta Phi fraternity at the Northeastern Illinois University were recently traveling in Texas to attend a conference for their Greek organization. They were traveling in a Chevrolet Impala at approximately 8:30 in the morning when their car apparently hit a semi truck on U.S. Highway 54. As a result of the car accident, two of the young men were killed and the three others sustained serious injuries.
Although investigators are sorting out the facts of the accident it appears that the driver of the Impala may have fallen asleep while at the wheel of the car. The actions of this distracted driver may therefore have contributed to his death and the death of one of his fraternity brothers.
Car accidents across the United States kill many Illinois residents each year and though all are tragic those that claim the lives of young people can often inflict the most pain and suffering. In addition to the families of the deceased victims and injured parties, the entire Omega Delta Phi family will most likely mourn the loss of the dead members.
As the three injured young men struggle to recover they may discover that they are in need of financial assistance for covering the expensive hospitalizations that they have been forced to endure. Though it may seem like an impossible choice, those injured victims may have rights to compensation against the estate of their driver and possibly the driver of the semi truck if that individual’s actions contributed to the incident. They may choose to speak with a car accident attorney to learn what rights they have to their accident-related damages.
Source: Chicago Tribune, “2 Northeastern Illinois frat brothers die, 3 survive in Texas crash,” Rosemary Regina Sobol, Jan. 19, 2014
