A Buick Lacrosse smashed into a car carrier truck parked in front of Currie Motors, 8401 Roosevelt Road, about 1:34 p.m. on Oct. 8, after its allegedly impaired driver reportedly fell asleep at the wheel, said Police Chief Thomas Aftanas.
Police closed the stretch of Roosevelt Road from Desplaines Avenue to the scene of the accident for about an hour to survey damage and care for the driver and his passenger. Aftanas said this is the first time he’s ever seen or heard of such an accident in Forest Park.
The truck driver was not in the vehicle at the time, but the crash damaged the car carrier and the Buick Lacrosse suffered extensive damage. There were no other vehicles on the lower deck of the truck when the crash occurred.
According to police, the driver of the Buick, a 61-year-old Woodridge man, was traveling west on Roosevelt Road a high rate of speed when he drove up the ramp of the parked car carrier truck and slammed into its cab.
The driver told police he nodded off at the wheel. He and his passenger, a 58-year-old Crestwood man, were transported to Loyola Medical Center for treatment of non-life threatening injuries, Aftanas said.
“He’s lucky he didn’t kill himself or his passenger,” Aftanas said.
Aftanas said paramedics discovered small baggies of a white powdery substance in the Buick Lacrosse, which police suspect is heroin. No charges have been filed. The suspect heroin has been sent to the Illinois State Police Crime Lab. Aftanas said if the lab positively identifies it as heroin, police will follow up with charges at a later date.
“Don’t drive under the influence of either narcotics or liquor,” Aftanas said. “I mean, this is a big vehicle, they cannot pull into the parking lots off Roosevelt Road. There’s just not enough space for them to maneuver and get into the lot.
“They have the hazards on. It’s very visible. We’ve never had a problem like this that I can think of. It’s just another example of driving under the influence.”
– Nona Tepper
