SUV crashes through fence, ends up in Schaumburg pond

An elderly man was taken to Alexian Brothers Medical Center Sunday morning after he rammed into a parked vehicle in a McDonald's parking lot, continued to drive through the fence of a nearby subdivision, and landed grille-first in a pond.

The accident occurred around 10 a.m. Sunday in the Cherry Hill of Schaumburg subdivision, near Farmgate Drive and Roselle Road.

A resident of the subdivision, Tony Pietramale, said he was told that the man's Ford SUV, which had a handicapped license plate, had smashed into a vehicle parked in the McDonald's lot at 550 S. Roselle Road.

Pietramale said the parked vehicle was pushed into the subdivision fence, while the SUV proceeded to drive through the fence and bushes.

Schaumburg Fire Battalion Chief Kenneth Wood said the SUV continued through a yard, then crashed into the support posts of a balcony, which then collapsed, scattering a barbecue and chairs and tables.

Wood said the SUV then hit a fountain, shattering a lamp post, before coming to rest in the pond.

Wood said neighbors called 911. He said police were first to arrive on the scene.

Fire and ambulance vehicles soon followed.

Wood estimated the drive to be about 85 years old. He said the man suffered some cuts and scrapes but was conscious.

"He's probably lucky that there were no large trees that he ran directly into," Wood said.

A tow truck pulled the muddy vehicle, which sustained considerable front-end damage, out of the water. The SUV left behind one of its headlamps in the pond.

Initial damage estimates include $1,000 to replace the balcony.

Luciano Mordini, president of the subdivision's homeowners association, said, "I walked out of my sliding door and I saw the car in the pond. I thought I was dreaming."