An Illinois Department of Transportation worker was critically injured late Monday night after being struck by a vehicle on the Dan Ryan Expressway.
Police said the IDOT minuteman was helping a stranded motorist whose car had sustained a flat tire near 26th Street on the I-94 around midnight. The car was in the far right lane, where there apparently is no shoulder. The IDOT truck's emergency lights were flashing.
Police said a car hit the minuteman, but did not hit other cars. The driver of the car did not stop. The motorist was not injured.
The 42-year-old man was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and is in critical condition with a fractured right leg and internal bleeding.
State troopers recovered parts of the headlight or turn signal were recovered at the scene, and said the public should be on the lookout for a gray or silver passenger car, possibly a Nissan, with front passenger side damage.
The public is urged to call authorities if they spot a car matching the description.
IDOT spokesman, Guy Tridgell said the injured worker has been with the department since 2006. Tridgell said IDOT workers make 125,000 motorist assists a year and put their lives on the line daily.
Drivers who injure state workers face up to 14 years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
Sunday, May 19 2013 12:32 PM EDT2013-05-19 16:32:45 GMT
A 23-year-old woman was killed and four others were critically injured when two cars crashed into a building in the Far South Side Washington Heights neighborhood early Sunday.
A 23-year-old woman was killed and four others were critically injured when two cars crashed into a building in the Far South Side Washington Heights neighborhood early Sunday.
Friday, May 17 2013 1:49 PM EDT2013-05-17 17:49:58 GMT
Nine stops on the south branch of the CTA's Red Line – from Cermak/Chinatown to 95th/Dan Ryan - will be shut down starting Sunday for a five-month $1 billion reconstruction project.
Nine stops on the south branch of the CTA's Red Line – from Cermak/Chinatown to 95th/Dan Ryan - will be shut down starting Sunday for a five-month $1 billion reconstruction project.
Wednesday, May 15 2013 4:00 PM EDT2013-05-15 20:00:03 GMT
A truck driver was seriously injured when the semi-truck he was driving overturned on the exit ramp from the outbound Eisenhower Expressway to Route 83 North.
A truck driver was seriously injured when the semi-truck he was driving overturned on the exit ramp from the outbound Eisenhower Expressway to Route 83 North.
Wednesday, May 15 2013 2:51 PM EDT2013-05-15 18:51:57 GMT
Some big headaches are just days away for CTA Red Line riders on Chicago's South Side. The reconstruction of the south branch is scheduled to begin, along with free shuttle service.
Some big headaches are just days away for CTA Red Line riders on Chicago's South Side. The reconstruction of the south branch is scheduled to begin, along with free shuttle service.
Wednesday, May 15 2013 9:12 AM EDT2013-05-15 13:12:16 GMT
A 38-year-old woman accused of dragging a Chicago Police officer from a vehicle while speeding away from a traffic stop Monday night has been charged with attempted first-degree murder, police said.
A 38-year-old woman accused of dragging a Chicago Police officer from a vehicle while speeding away from a traffic stop Monday night has been charged with attempted first-degree murder, police said.
