14 prisoners taken to hospital due to smoke on bus

Fourteen prisoners from the Cook County jail were taken to the hospital today due to smoke inhalation caused by the bus’s engine leaking oil.

Around 9:30 a.m., the prisoners were on a transport bus taking them to their hearings at the Skokie courthouse.

When the bus arrived on the courthouse’s loading dock, smoke began to fill up the lower level, said Cook County Sheriff’s spokesperson Liane Jackson.

The prisoners were about to get off the bus when the smoke started, but it didn’t take long for them to be exposed to the smoke, Jackson said.

Thirteen prisoners complained of smoke inhalation and one complained of chest pains.

All 14 prisoners were taken to Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston and released soon after with no injuries.

After being released from the hospital, the prisoners were taken back to Cook County Jail. Their hearings were rescheduled for a later date.

The courthouse was evacuated for about an hour, Jackson said.