Bicyclist Sustains Serious Injuries In Arlington Heights Car Crash

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — A bicyclist sustained life-threatening injuries Thursday morning following a multiple vehicle accident that shut down Route 53 at Lake Cook Road for several hours, according to police. The 43-year-old unincorporated Arlington Heights resident was rushed to Lutheran General Hospital after the accident, which occurred at around 7:20 a.m. Her updated condition is unknown at this time.

Police said the crash occurred at the intersection of Lake Cook Road and N. Wilke Road. When first responders arrived, they found two vehicles on the southeast quadrant of the intersection, according to a news release.

A subsequent investigation revealed that one of the vehicles, a red 2011 Ford F550 landscaping truck with a trailer, mounted the curb as the result of impact with a second vehicle and struck the bicyclist, who was waiting to cross Lake Cook Road. The second vehicle was a white 2019 Chevrolet Equinox.

The driver of the truck and his passenger were uninjured. The driver of the second vehicle was taken by Palatine Fire Department paramedics to Northwest Community Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, where she remains at the time of the news release.

Based on preliminary information gained from an at-scene witnesses, as well as other physical evidence, the Ford F550 was traveling eastbound on Lake Cook Road, approaching the intersection with N. Wilke Road when the Chevrolet Equinox made a left turn from westbound Lake Cook Road to head south on N. Wilke Road. The vehicles collided in the intersection. The Chevrolet Equinox was spun around and remained in the eastbound lanes of traffic, while the Ford F550 departed the roadway to the southeast and struck the bicyclist.

According to police, the Specialized Traffic Accident Reconstruction Team, associated with the northwest suburban Major Case Assistance Team, was activated.

"They responded with a cadre of officers and related equipment to process evidence and supply technical accident investigation support," Arlington Heights police said in the news release.

As of 11 a.m., police said the condition of the traffic signals, as well as the speeds of the colliding vehicles, is still under investigation. There is no evidence of impairment involved in the case. Motorists are encouraged to avoid Lake Cook Road between Route 53 and Arlington Heights Road until normal operation resumes.