Southtown Star
Oak Lawn Police have identified the three people killed in the horrific 11-car crash Sunday at 95th Street and Cicero Avenue.
Dead are Edward L. Carthans, 81, of Chicago. He was the driver of the Ford F-150 pickup truck that was driving west on 95th and crashed into eastbound vehicles stopped at the traffic light.
Two nuns in one car were killed when their vehicle was struck by Carthans’ pickup truck.
Sister Jean Stickney, 86, and Sister Kab Kyoung Kim, 48, both of the Little Company of Mary Sisters, died at the scene, police said in a news conference at Oak Lawn Village Hall Monday morning.
The investigation continues into what Oak Lawn Fire Chief George Sheets called “the most violent and most bizarre accident” he’s seen in his career.
Twenty-three people were treated on the scene, and 11 were taken to Christ Medical Center, Little Company of Mary Hospital and Palos Hospital, officials said. Two were in critical condition, officials said. Updates on their condition were not available, but most remain hospitalized, officials said.
Accident reconstruction has mapped out where each car was located, Police Sgt. Bob Brewer said. Next is determining how fast the truck was going and what happened after the initial impact.
Police are trying to determine where Carthans was before the incident. Another male motorist found him slumped over the wheel of his truck at 95th and Western shortly before the 4:27 p.m. crash, Police Division Chief Randy Palmer said.
Carthans assured the man he was OK and drove away. Moments later, his truck struck three vehicles at 95th and Keeler.
None of those drivers needed hospitalization, Palmer said. Then Carthans ran the red light at Cicero and caused the fatal accident, Palmer said.
