Tragically, a semi truck driver reportedly disobeyed his signal while making a right turn, and ran over and killed a 44-year-old man, last Friday afternoon next to Benito Juarez High School in Pilsen.
The crash location is a massive five-way intersection of Cermak, Ashland, and Blue Island avenues, serving an industrial zone. Here Ashland has seven lanes, and pedestrian crossings are daunting, despite the fact there’s a school here. This location is in the 25th Ward, served by Ald. Byron Sigcho Lopez.
According to the initial Chicago Police Department statement, on Friday, May 16, at around 12:08 p.m., the male pedestrian was in a crosswalk on the 2100 south block when a southbound semi driver struck him. The victim was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
According to a Police News Affairs spokesperson this morning, the trucker was cited for disobeying a stoplight and improper response to a stop or turn signal.
The Illinois Traffic Crash Report, completed by responding police officers, provides more details about what reportedly happened. However, the narrative on the document states that camera footage was not viewed before writing the report. That may help explain why the narrative includes a statement from the trucker that appears to contradict the CPD findings that led to the citations…