Illinois Injury Law Blog

A tour bus driver who was allegedly involved in a vehicle-pedestrian accident in Illinois is now facing aggravated DUI charges. These charges are on top of multiple sex charges involving children after police determined he was wanted in two separate cases, according to the Chicago SunTimes.

The Northwest Side man was accused of driving under the influence when he struck the young pedestrian as she attempted to cross the street in the 500 block of North Columbus. Court documents report that the driver tested positive for cocaine. The accident happened at about 7:00 p.m. just blocks from the woman's home. The woman died, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Our Chicago injury lawyers urge pedestrians to be careful when traveling through our busy city streets as some of the most devastating injuries can arise from vehicle-pedestrian collisions. It is critical to take immediate action in order to protect your rights.

"When I heard the details of the crash, you know, the driver heard two bumps, it just crushes me. I know. I know what it's like," said Lorraine Wesolowski, a spokeswoman for The Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists.

The driver was held without bond at a hearing last week. He reported to have repeatedly told the paramedics that he didn't see the pedestrian as he was attempting to make a right-hand turn.

The driver has reportedly received roughly 20 previous traffic violations between 1988 and 2008. He had been working for that bus company for six months.

After the arrest for the bus accident, authorities discovered that he was wanted in two sexual-assault cases involving minors. Authorities report that in addition to the aggravated DUI charges, the driver is also facing charges of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child and aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a victim under 13.

"The whole Pontarelli family is deeply saddened by this tragedy, and our thoughts are with this young girl's family," said Pontarelli Group Charter spokesman Arthur J. Rento.

There have been more than 4,000 pedestrian fatalities, and approximately 59,000 pedestrian injuries, because of traffic accidents in 2009 in the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association. It's estimated that a pedestrian is killed every two hours because of a traffic accident. Illinois saw more than 100 pedestrian fatalities in 2009 because of traffic-related accidents.

A Chicago injury law firm will look at how this driver was hired to drive a bus with a poor driving record and outstanding warrants for sex crimes against children.

Continue reading "Alleged Impaired Driver Kills Pedestrian in Bus Accident in Illinois " »

In late April, as her husband and screaming passengers watched, a 50-year-old woman whose arm was trapped in closed CTA bus doors was dragged about 20 feet before the bus driver stopped. The victim has since been treated to address possible nerve damage. Earlier this week she filed a Cook County personal injury lawsuit against the CTA and one of its drivers, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Meanwhile, a Chicago Sun-Times article reveals that incidents of theft and robbery on CTA buses have been climbing steadily for five years. Robberies alone are up 77 percent since 2006. In 2009, there were 1,942 reports of criminal acts on CTA buses. So far in 2010, crime on CTA buses is up 12 percent despite only a 0.4 percent increase in ridership over last year.

CTA authorities assure their buses are safe, citing a decline in the number of aggravated assaults and batteries occurring on their transports. Nor have there been any homicides since 2008, when a Julian High School senior was killed by gunfire after being caught in a shootout between two men arguing on a CTA bus.

In an effort to undermine criminal activity, the CTA is mounting an aggressive public awareness campaign using flyers and posters that remind passengers to keep an eye on their electronic gadgets and pay attention to their surroundings. And, they’ve added more security cameras which have helped law enforcement in making arrests.

But the bottom line is this: CTA has an obligation to its employees and passengers to provide an environment free of hazards – criminal- or traffic-related – that may cause injury to those who rely upon public transportation. When the agency fails, and someone is serious injured or killed, the CTA can and should be held responsible.

Continue reading "Passenger lawsuit against CTA brings to light potential injury issues involving Chicago bus accidents" »