Septemberfest security worker who was injured by wrong-way driver dies
A Hanover Park man who was struck by a wrong-way driver as he provided security during Schaumburg's Septemberfest earlier this month has died, family members said.
Mike Parr, 58, died late Wednesday afternoon, an hour and a half after his family decided to remove him from life support as his condition continued to deteriorate, his niece Pam Scholz said.
An MRI showed he'd suffered a couple of strokes in the wake of his injuries, Scholz said, the prognosis for recovery continued to decline.
Though having had two prosthetic legs as a result of separate amputations, Parr was the primary breadwinner in his household. His wife, Janet, was diagnosed with early onset dementia, and their daughter, Dani, recently graduated from Syracuse University.
Parr, who had been working private security at Septemberfest, was struck by a sedan traveling the wrong direction at 10:38 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 3, at the intersection of Summit Drive and New Mills Court.
Schaumburg police Lt. Christy Lindhurst said last week that an Elk Grove Village man was cited for having caused the accident. The driver stopped after the crash to deliver aid, she said.
On Thursday, Lindhurst said the driver's citation still stands, but investigators remain interested in hearing from any witnesses who have not yet come forward. Witnesses can call a tip line at (847) 348-7055 and have the option of remaining anonymous.
Scholz said Parr's family also is interested in hearing from witnesses.
According to his daughter, Parr suffered paralysis from the shoulders down, multiple broken ribs, two broken shoulders and facial fractures and became unable to breathe on his own after the crash.
His injuries added to the family's existing medical and financial stresses and led to the creation of a GoFundMe campaign. Dani emphasized last week that the fundraiser was to assist with her and her mother's finances at home, as insurance and workers' compensation had been covering her father's treatment at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge.
But Scholz said Thursday that the fundraiser also will help with funeral expenses. As of Thursday afternoon, the campaign had raised more than $19,000 of its $30,000 goal.
Schaumburg Mayor Tom Dailly expressed his condolences to Parr's friends and family Thursday, saying that everything he'd learned about him showed him to be a true helper of others.
"It's just a tragedy that this has happened," Dailly said. "Very sad."
Parr had lost one leg to an infection in 2009 and the other to diabetes in 2018. Even with prosthetic legs, he would help his neighbors with cutting the grass and other chores, his daughter said.
Parr's wife, now 60, had been the most consistently employed member of the family until recently. But Janet began to struggle last year, her daughter added. That prompted Mike to return to work in private security.
Visitation is scheduled from 3 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, at Countryside Funeral Home, 1640 Greenmeadows Blvd. in Streamwood.
Prayers will be held at the funeral home at 9:45 a.m. Friday, Oct. 7, just before the procession to the 10:30 a.m. funeral Mass at Church of the Holy Spirit, 1451 Bode Road in Schaumburg.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois at nkfi.org or the American Diabetes Association at diabetes.org. For more information, call Countryside Funeral Home at (630) 289-8054.