Elizabeth Grace Shambrook was killed when she was strike though using on the back of her mother’s bicycle, in accordance to law enforcement. It occurred about 8:15 a.m. in the 1100-block of West Leland Avenue in Uptown Thursday, officers said.
The semi was pulling away from a cease indicator at Leland and Winthrop avenues close to 8:15 a.m. when it knocked the mom off equilibrium and the female was thrown from a boy or girl carrier on the bike, in accordance to a law enforcement report.
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The girl’s father, who was adhering to on his have bike, stated his spouse was “crowded” between the semi and the ComEd truck. Other witnesses mentioned the mom was startled when the semi commenced going, tried to regain her stability and was clipped by the truck.
The child fell off the bicycle and was dragged by the semi for more than 20 toes, the law enforcement report states. The baby was putting on a helmet and was sitting down in a boy or girl carrier attached to the rear of the bicycle, police said.
“We just read screaming and then we turned all-around and, I’m assuming it was the father, just pounding on the truck to back up so they could pull the youngster out from underneath it,” reported Tim Bartsch, witness.
Her father reported she went by Lily Grace, and he described her as intelligent, funny and vivid.
Her father explained the incident was totally preventable. He is upset the ComEd truck was parked in the bicycle lane, and that the semi was driving down a residential road.
“For some motive there is generally 18-wheelers, all foods trucks, heading down in this article all the time,” Bartsch said. “The Christopher Property is suitable there with young children playing all the time. It does not make any sense why Leland is a massive intersection for 18-wheelers.”
Community leaders concur some thing requirements to adjust. Metropolis info reveals 484 bicyclists have been concerned in crashes so significantly this year.
Alderman James Cappleman claimed he plans to talk to the Chicago Division of Transportation (CDOT) for a basic safety overview on this region of Leland and Winthrop where by the female was killed.
“I can not envision what a father or mother goes by way of. This will be one thing that will haunt this mother or father for the rest of her everyday living,” Cappleman explained.
A spokesperson for CDOT confirmed they are conducting a total overview of what led up to the kid’s dying and claimed in a written assertion: “The Chicago Section of Transportation (CDOT) is fully commited to shielding the physical safety of each person on the road – regardless of whether they are walking, biking, or driving. Yesterday’s tragedy underscores the great importance of the Metropolis of Chicago’s ongoing motivation to minimizing site visitors fatalities by way of a whole of government tactic that employs protection procedures and local community partnerships.”
Leland Avenue is a specified bike route that functions dashed trails on the aspect of the road. But the bicycle lanes are unprotected, which usually means there are no boundaries among riders and motor vehicles.
Chicago bicycle protection advocates have been calling for modify just after the deadly crash.
“Paint is not security!” claimed Courtney Cobbs, with Superior Streets Chicago. “Paint is not going to shield you when a vehicle weaves into the bicycle lane.”
It is a route Cobbs tries to avoid.
“There usually are not any velocity humps,” Cobbs said. “The street is really large, and there nothing at all to stop everyone from weaving.”
Now, that route is marked with a memorial for Shambrook. The toddler’s loss of life arrived just months after a 23-year-previous bicyclist was strike and killed around North Milwaukee and Kilbourn avenues last thirty day period. That intersection now has designs to make elevated concrete curbs to protect riders.
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“It truly is a tragic crash and a preventable crash,” mentioned Kyle Whitehead with Energetic Transportation Alliance.
The Active Transportation Alliance explained people bicycle lanes aren’t adequate at times for the reason that of how fast paced metropolis streets are.
“That is something we see, not just in this neighborhood, but in neighborhoods all across the town and it truly is some thing persons have longed complained about and pointed to as a little something the metropolis should deal with,” Whitehead claimed.
The firm is inquiring town leaders for additional infrastructure to gradual cars down. Whitehead explained that can take place with elevated crosswalks and lifted intersections, amid other points.
“We will need to be spending added focus and investing far more into the basic safety infrastructure that we know can avoid crashes and conserve lives,” he additional.
“If the metropolis truly wants to make it happen, they can make it occur,” Cobbs claimed. “And, the actuality that they usually are not doing it claims that my lifestyle is not a precedence. The life of people today who get close to by bike are not a precedence, proper now.”
ComEd issued a statement expressing, “ComEd was issued a permit by the Chicago Division of Transportation to accomplish perform in the place, nevertheless, our investigation into the incident is ongoing.”
Law enforcement are continue to investigating the incident with the support of the Major Accident Investigation Device.
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