Family sues driver who fatally struck bicyclist in Mount Prospect

The family of a woman fatally struck by an SUV while riding her bicycle in northwest suburban Mount Prospect last year has filed a lawsuit against the driver.

Eric T. Jakubowski filed the wrongful death suit on Friday in Cook County Circuit Court and seeks more than $100,000 in damages against the driver of the SUV that stuck his wife, Joni Beaudry.

Beaudry, 55, of Mount Prospect, was crossing Central Road at Weller Lane in the crosswalk about 9:41 a.m. June 10, 2016 when she was struck by a black Lexus SUV, according to Mount Prospect police.

Beaudry was taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, where she was pronounced dead at 6:45 p.m., according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

The driver of the SUV was cited for failure to yield to a pedestrian and driving too fast for conditions, police said. Beaudry activated a crossing signal at the intersection before crossing the street and the driver, who was traveling 40 mph in a 35-mph zone, did not stop while driving east through the crossing.

Police also found that Beaudry’s actions were a contributing factor to the collision. State traffic law requires pedestrians to enter the roadway only when it is safe to do so, police said.

The two-count suit alleges the driver caused Beaudry’s death by failing to keep a look out for pedestrians and driving carelessly. A second count seeks damages under survival action, which claims Beaudry would have been entailed to damages for pain and suffering had she survived.