By Robert Blau
Chicago Tribune
Jul 05, 1989 at 12:00 am
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1989-07-06-8902150153-story.html
A father and his 6-year-old son were killed and a third person was injured Wednesday in a multivehicle accident that snarled traffic and shut down CTA rail service on a portion of the Dan Ryan Expressway, according to state police and hospital officials.
Duane Gibbs, 34, and his son, Jonathan, of Marietta, Ga., were killed when a dump truck ran over the back of their 1985 Nissan, then slammed into the rear of a Union Carbide tanker truck carrying liquid nitrogen, said Trooper Paul Smith of District 4 of the state police. The tanker truck in turn hit the rear of a semitractor trailer, he said.
The four-vehicle accident occurred about 1:40 p.m. in the southbound lanes of the expressway at 94th Street, according to Fire Department officials. It wasn`t cleared until 4:15 p.m., Smith said.
''It all happened in heavy traffic,'' Smith said. ''Apparently, the dump truck made a lane change and couldn`t stop in time before he ran over the passenger car and hit the Union Carbide truck.''
The Gibbses had to be pried out of their smashed car, Fire Department officials said. Duane Gibbs was pronounced dead at Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park and Jonathan was pronounced dead at Christ Hospital and Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Smith said.
The driver of the dump truck, Emil Dettmering, 21, of Matteson, was not injured. He was charged with following too closely and improper lane usage, Smith said. An investigation is pending to determine if other charges will be filed.
The driver of the Union Carbide truck, Walter Helmus, 53, of Calumet City, was reported in good condition at Little Company of Mary Hospital, a nursing supervisor said.
The driver of the fourth vehicle, Michael Wrobel, 33, of Midlothian, was not injured.
CTA service was shut off at 2:13 p.m. between 87th and 95th Streets because of firefighters` concerns that gas leaking from the damaged car would ignite, according to CTA spokesman Jeff Stern. The liquid nitrogen carried by the tanker truck is not flammable, Pierce said. CTA service was restored at 2:51 p.m., Stern said.
Ron Love
Father, Son Killed in Ryan Crash
By Robert Blau
Chicago Tribune
Jul 05, 1989 at 12:00 am
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1989-07-06-8902150153-story.html
A father and his 6-year-old son were killed and a third person was injured Wednesday in a multivehicle accident that snarled traffic and shut down CTA rail service on a portion of the Dan Ryan Expressway, according to state police and hospital officials.
Duane Gibbs, 34, and his son, Jonathan, of Marietta, Ga., were killed when a dump truck ran over the back of their 1985 Nissan, then slammed into the rear of a Union Carbide tanker truck carrying liquid nitrogen, said Trooper Paul Smith of District 4 of the state police. The tanker truck in turn hit the rear of a semitractor trailer, he said.
The four-vehicle accident occurred about 1:40 p.m. in the southbound lanes of the expressway at 94th Street, according to Fire Department officials. It wasn`t cleared until 4:15 p.m., Smith said.
''It all happened in heavy traffic,'' Smith said. ''Apparently, the dump truck made a lane change and couldn`t stop in time before he ran over the passenger car and hit the Union Carbide truck.''
The Gibbses had to be pried out of their smashed car, Fire Department officials said. Duane Gibbs was pronounced dead at Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park and Jonathan was pronounced dead at Christ Hospital and Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Smith said.
The driver of the dump truck, Emil Dettmering, 21, of Matteson, was not injured. He was charged with following too closely and improper lane usage, Smith said. An investigation is pending to determine if other charges will be filed.
The driver of the Union Carbide truck, Walter Helmus, 53, of Calumet City, was reported in good condition at Little Company of Mary Hospital, a nursing supervisor said.
The driver of the fourth vehicle, Michael Wrobel, 33, of Midlothian, was not injured.
CTA service was shut off at 2:13 p.m. between 87th and 95th Streets because of firefighters` concerns that gas leaking from the damaged car would ignite, according to CTA spokesman Jeff Stern. The liquid nitrogen carried by the tanker truck is not flammable, Pierce said. CTA service was restored at 2:51 p.m., Stern said.