SUV plunges off I-290 bridge in Addison, driver critically injured

A man was flown to a hospital in critical condition Sunday morning after the SUV he was driving plunged from an Interstate 290 bridge and crashed onto southbound Route 83 in Addison.

Addison Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Brock Herion said the Jeep Grand Cherokee was westbound on I-290 when it fell 15-20 feet off the bridge at about 8:20 a.m. Sunday.

"It looks like when he landed, he hit the jersey barrier on the northbound 83 side and then slipped over and ended up on his wheels on the southbound Route 83 side," Herion said.

The driver, described as a man in his 30s, was extricated from the vehicle and flown to Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove. It took about 30 minutes to remove him from the SUV's wreckage, Herion said.

"I think we pretty much used every tool on our rig," he said. "He was kind of entombed in the car."

The driver suffered abdominal and pelvic injuries, but was conscious and talking with paramedics, authorities said.

Southbound Route 83 and 3rd Avenue were blocked as first responders removed the driver and cleared the wreckage, but all lanes were reopen by 10 a.m., authorities said.

The Elmhurst Fire Department assisted in the response, officials said.