Pedestrians injured at same spot of Des Plaines crashes last year
Two pedestrians have injuries that are not life-threatening after being struck Tuesday by a car near the downtown Des Plaines train station - at the same spot of similar accidents last year.
About 4:50 p.m., the two people were in the pedestrian crosswalk on Miner Street between Lee Street and Pearson Avenue when they were struck by a passing car, according to Police Chief Bill Kushner.
The injured pedestrians and driver were taken to the hospital for evaluation. Police planned to interview the driver before deciding whether to issue any citations, Kushner said.
The same Miner Street crosswalk area is where two pedestrian crashes, one of them fatal, happened within hours of each other July 23, 2015.
In the first crash, a 70-year-old Des Plaines woman died from her injuries after she was struck by a vehicle driven by an 88-year-old woman.
Less than two hours later at nearly the same spot, two 13-year-old girls riding their bikes across Miner were hit by an eastbound car.
The crashes prompted Des Plaines officials to ask the Illinois Department of Transportation for permission to install high-visibility "rapid flashing beacons" near the median as an additional safety measure. IDOT has jurisdiction over the road.
But the city's request has been tied up in the ongoing state budget stalemate.
City officials told aldermen earlier this year that the flashing lights can't be considered by IDOT until a Federal Highway Administration safety inspection takes place. And that can't be done until there is a state budget.
The city did get permission to install four "Vehicle Stop Here" signs, which join 10 other signs at the crosswalk telling drivers to be aware of pedestrians.