Man’s estate sues driver whose medical emergency was blamed for fatal Loop crash

The estate of a man who was killed in a multi-vehicle collision in the Loop earlier this year is suing the driver who had a medical emergency that was blamed for the crash.

About 4:30 p.m. Jan. 27, the 56-year-old Peru man was driving a white 2017 Mercedes sedan east on Congress Parkway near Wells Street when he had a medical emergency and crashed at a “very high rate of speed” into the back of a gray 2013 Cadillac truck that was stopped in traffic, Illinois State Police said.

The man’s car continued striking other vehicles stopped in traffic, causing a chain-reaction crash, state police said.

The Cadillac’s driver, 35-year-old Darius C. Sconiers, was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead later that day, state police and the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office said.

Sconiers, of Bellwood, died of blunt force injuries to the chest related to the crash, and his death was ruled an accident, the medical examiner’s office said.

The suit, filed Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court, holds that the driver of the Mercedes acted negligently by not controlling his car, avoiding the collision or warning other drivers of the impending crash.

Sconiers’ estate seeks compensation for injuries, losses and damages related to the fatal crash, according to the suit. In addition, the estate seeks compensation for his medical, funeral and burial costs.

Sconiers graduated from Proviso East High School in Maywood before attending DeVry University in Downers Grove, according to his Facebook page. He went on to work as a chef at reputed Chicago restaurants, including Lawry’s The Prime Rib and Formento’s.

Following the crash, Tiffani Jones, Sconiers’ close friend, told the Sun-Times he had been working as a private chef for a handful of Chicago Bulls players prior to his death.

The driver of the Mercedes was taken to Stroger Hospital in serious condition, while his passenger, a 57-year-old Peru woman, was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital with injuries that weren’t believed to be life threatening, state police said.

Multiple other people also suffered injuries that weren’t believed to be life-threatening, state police and Chicago Fire Media Affairs said.

Eleven people refused treatment at the scene, fire media affairs said.