Man Dies in Head-On Bus-Car Accident in Chicago

There's a disturbingly large amount of the population which believes that motorists who are involved in head-on collisions will not be killed or seriously injured because of the airbags that are common in most of today's passenger vehicles. But this weekend's bus-car accident is a chilling reminder that even when airbags deploy properly, people can still die in these types of accidents.

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A 30-year old man lost his life this weekend in a head-on collision involving a car and a CTA bus. On Sunday morning around 8am, a Ford Taurus was traveling north on South Halsted Street near West Marquette Road in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago's South Side. The Taurus reportedly crossed the center line of the street in an apparent attempt to turn into a White Castle restaurant that sits at the corner of the intersection. Instead, the car slammed into the front of an oncoming CTA bus.

The No. 8 South Halsted bus was carrying 10 passengers, although none of them reported any injuries. But even though both front-seat airbags deployed in the Taurus, the driver had to be taken to Stroger Hospital in serious-to-critical condition - and the passenger later succumbed to his injuries at the same facility.

Oftentimes, the bus driver and the CTA itself are held responsible for injuries or deaths which occur as a result of a CTA bus accident (More here about claims against the CTA). However, given the information that is available, it appears that the driver of the Taurus was completely to blame for the head-on collision (police did cite him for driving too fast for conditions).

Therefore, the driver may very well be named as a defendant in a future wrongful death lawsuit filed by the 30-year old's surviving family members. This suit could compensate the family for future wages the victim might have earned had the bus-car accident never occurred. The driver may also be ordered to reimburse the family for hospital and burial expenses, and pay damages for loss of companionship and/or mental anguish.

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UPDATE: The car's driver, a 27-year old man who was injured in the collision, has now been charged with aggravated driving under the influence.

February has been a tough month for alcohol related accidents.