Icy bridge blamed for 9-vehicle crash on NW Side

As many as nine vehicles were involved in a chain-reaction crash on an icy bridge above the Edens Expressway on the Northwest Side on Monday night.

The crash happened about 5 p.m. in the 4800 block of West Peterson, on a bridge over the expressway, police said.

Officials believe icy conditions contributed to the crash. Unconfirmed dispatch reports indicate as many as nine vehicles may have been involved.

John Elliott, one of the drivers, said the cars were driving about 25 mph approaching an intersection, and couldn’t stop because of the slippery roadway.

“I saw that the car in front of me was having trouble braking and starting to slide and I started to brake, and there was not a chance,” Elliott said. “There was no stopping until you hit a car.”

“I was the fourth car that was in the chain, and I felt at least three bumps after I hit this car behind me,” he said.

Some of the drivers relocated to a nearby parking lot to assess the damage, and a salt truck later came by to treat the roadway.

Chicago police had no word on injuries as of Monday evening.