One person died in a crash at 12:04 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 26, after the driver of the vehicle they were riding in ran a red light at a Skokie intersection, Skokie police said in a statement.
Fire personnel responded to a report of a traffic crash at the intersection of Howard Street and Lincoln Avenue, and police said preliminary reports indicate that a vehicle traveling westbound on Howard Street disregarded a red traffic light and collided with another vehicle traveling southbound on Lincoln Avenue, the statement said.
A 54-year-old male passenger in the first vehicle, a Skokie resident, died from injuries suffered in the crash, police said.
The 52-year-old driver of the first vehicle, a BMW 740i sedan, showed impairment, police said, and was taken into police custody.
Responders took another passenger from the first vehicle to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The driver of the second vehicle, a Nissan Murano SUV, was alone in the vehicle, per Skokie Police Deputy Chief Denise Franklin, and declined medical attention at the scene.
Franklin said the investigation is ongoing, and, “Upon conclusion, we will review the findings with the Cook County State’s Attorney and proceed with criminal charges.”
Asked at what speed the first vehicle was traveling when it crashed into the second, Franklin said that is unknown but that the investigation continues.
The North Regional Major Crimes Task Force – Major Crash Assistance Team is assisting the Skokie Police Department with this investigation, per Skokie police.
