Chicago Fire Department lieutenant dies after bicycle crash

A Chicago Fire Department lieutenant died Monday, three weeks after he being injured in a crash in southwest suburban Evergreen Park while riding his bicycle home after a shift.

Danny Carbol, 56, finished his shift at the firehouse in the 8000 block of South Kedzie on Sept. 20, said goodbye to his fellow firefighters, then got on his bike to ride home, as he had done for years, Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said.

Carbol, who lived in the 10500 block of South Central Park Avenue in Chicago, was riding south on South Central Park Avenue in Evergreen Park at 8:22 a.m. when he went through a stop sign and struck the side of a Jeep Cherokee that was eastbound on 93rd Street, according to an Evergreen Park police report.

A witness told police the Cherokee stopped at the stop sign, and Carbol appeared to assume the SUV would remain stopped for him and went through the intersection without stopping at the stop sign, according to the report. He struck the side of the Cherokee, and landed on the SUV’s hood before falling to the ground.

The driver told police she did not see him until he struck her vehicle, according to the report. Evergreen Park police cited Carbol for failure to yield to the right of way vehicle.

Paramedics found Carbol unresponsive at the scene, and took him to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died at 10:05 p.m. Monday, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. An autopsy Tuesday found he died of multiple injuries from being struck by a vehicle and ruled his death an accident.

“Despite the best efforts to save him, the brain damage was irreversible,” Langford said.

“It’s a great loss to the department,” he said.

“Danny comes from a firefighter family. His dad served many years and his brother is also a firefighter. He rode his bicycle to and from the firehouse for many years. We are saddened at the loss and his department family joins his first family in mourning his death.”

A visitation for Carbol will be held between 2 and 9 p.m. Monday at Colonial Chapel Funeral Home at 15525 73rd Ave. in Orland Park, and his funeral will also be at the funeral home at 10 a.m. Oct. 18.