Updated, 1:52 p.m., Friday, Jan. 18, 2013
An Alsip man is being treated for critical injuries Friday, after he drove off the road, destroying his car and causing debris from the car to strike nearby properties, off of 135th Street, according to police.
The Orland Park Police Department was called around 3 a.m. about a single-vehicle crash on 135th Street near Partridge Lane, said Orland Park Police Commander John Keating. A 2003 Jaguar was driving west on 135th Street when it moved into the eastbound lane, before leaving the road near Partridge Lane, Keating said. The car struck several trees and landscaping, causing severe damage to the car and sending shrapnel toward nearby properties, before it came to rest in a retention ditch on the southwest corner of the intersection, Keating said.
The caller’s home was struck by debris from the vehicle, Keating said.
The car uprooted a tree that was between 16 and 18 inches in diameter, and the car's entire front end was split in half, Orland Fire Chief Ken Brucki said.
“The engine was completely extracted from the vehicle, and landed near a home in the area,” Keating said. “Investigators determined he was still in the vehicle, but he was partially ejected out of the passenger side door area.”
Only the driver was injured in the accident. No passengers were in the car at the time, Keating said. The driver was able to communicate verbally and was responding to pain, Brucki said.
Evacuating by helicopter was considered, given the initial difficulty of extricating the man from the damaged car, Brucki said. Firefighters were able to remove him in about 15 minutes, so the helicopter was canceled. Helicopters were seen hovering in the area, however those were news and traffic copters, Brucki said.
"It was a very challening extrication, because of how much he moved inside the vehicle," Brucki said. "Firefighters had to cut the roof off, and open and spread the passenger compartment to detangle him from the wreckage. They did an excellent job."
Peter Gonzales, 25, of the 11500 block of South Kolmar Avenue in Alsip, was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center with critical injuries. No update on his condition was available from the hospital around noon Friday.
“Based on the extent of vehicle damage and what was struck, it's amazing he wasn't injured more severely,” Keating said.
Gonzales was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, driving an uninsured vehicle, improper lane use, speeding over 40 mph above the posted limit and failure to wear a seat belt.
135th Street was closed for about six hours between 88th Avenue and 82nd Avenue/Partridge Lane.
Information about any prior arrests was not available Friday around noon.
Looking for more police stories?
- State Produces EMS Reports in Elderly Carjacking Case
- Federal Inmate Indicted for Escape
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http://investorplace.com/2013/01/aol-still-needs-to-patch-up-patch/
Furthermore, odds stacked against Patch? No different than the odds stacked against any new business. This editorial conveniently leaves out that the number of profitable sites are going up. We're moving in the direction of total profitability, and this man describes it like a bad thing. Are other media companies moving toward profitability and not the other direction? Not many. Don't worry about me, and don't worry about Orland Park Patch, though thank you for the concern (I think). As I have said before, let's have this talk next year. And I would appreciate it if future comments were focused on the actual article.
They've taken a bad situation and used it ro raise awareness so that other people make better choices, and furthermore, they raise money that helps send students to college. I haven't heard anyone deny what happened. Maybe you think a more specific example could be made, and you have a right to think that, but this is no fraud. They are raising money both for drunk driving awareness and to help kids go to college, and I personally don't see anything disingenuous about those efforts.
http://orlandpark.patch.com/articles/erins-aaim-race-family-and-friends-keep-memory-and-inspiration-strong Not once does it say that Erin was drinking as well. I think that needs to be clear in future write ups of this event. That Erin was drinking, got in a car with a drunk driver and crashed. I'm just not sure why there is a race in her honor? Or why you cover it? I could see if Erin was in a car with some friends and was hit by a drunk driver...The questions that need to be raised is why was she in a car with a Student-Teacher from Sandburg. They were partying with others. That is reckless and should not have an honor associated with it. Can you clear that up for me?
I cover this race because this is a cause a lot of people in town get behind. It appears there are a good number of people who simply think educating people about drunk driving and raising money for kids to go to college are good enough efforts for them. In this comment, and in several others, you seem to take a rather judgmental stance. You have every right to do so. But let me ask you this. If it was your child, would you have the courage to involve yourself in a cause that would remind you several times a year that your child died at an early age? I don't know if I would be able to. I drank before I turned 21. Does that mean I shouldn't write articles about efforts to stop kids from doing the same? Have you made any bad decisions in your life? If you did, does that mean you shouldn't be telling others what to do?
all that is in there are drunks who do not quit after most places close at 2:00 am. This building is located on Cook Country Forest Preserve District. It has been nothing but trouble and many times if I had to go to work early, you would see swarms of police cars just looking for probable cause. A number of years ago a bouncer that worked there under different management was murdered. Here is a better idea for the county board, revoke the license and bulldoze the place, this is most sensible decision to make yet the useless county board continues to be useless.
I wasn't aware that AOL owned Patch.
I think it is honorable and courageous for a family that has tragically lost a young girl, whether she was drinking or not, to turn their loss into an educational story so that it doesn't happen to others. Shame on you for attacking them and the foundation. It was tragic under any circumstance, and right away you go to a conspiracy-theory rant? I pray it isn't your daughter, or sister, or girlfriend that is hit by a drunk driver someday. Ben, keep up the great work.