Driver whose car split in two in Arlington Heights crash cited, remains in hospital
A Palatine man remained in serious condition Thursday with injuries suffered Tuesday when a car he was driving split into two after slamming into a streetlight and utility pole in Arlington Heights, police said.
The 19-year-old man, whose identity has not been released, is in the intensive-care unit at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge undergoing treatment for injuries suffered when he was thrown from the vehicle in the crash, according to Arlington Heights police.
Police said the man was driving a 2012 Honda Accord east on Northwest Highway approaching Wilke Road just before 9 p.m. Tuesday when the car veered into the oncoming lanes and struck a traffic standard, streetlight and utility pole on the northwest corner of the intersection.
The collision downed the power lines, causing hundreds of ComEd customers in the area to temporarily lose power, and damaged Jimmy D's District restaurant and bar located at the intersection.
The Palatine man, who was alone in the vehicle, was treated at the scene by Arlington Heights Fire Department paramedics then taken to Lutheran General, police said. No other injuries were reported.
Police cited the driver with improper lane usage. While the damage from the crash indicates a relatively high-speed collision, police said they do not expect any additional charges to be filed.