CBS Chicago reports that a 71-year-old woman involved in a serious car crash this weekend died four days after the crash.
Authorities say that the woman was involved in a North Side crash on Sunday afternoon around 4:25 p.m. The accident happened at the intersection of West Division Street and North Elston Avenue.
The driver was in critical condition until she died at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital shortly before 3 p.m. on Wednesday. This is one of many recent high profile accidents involving elderly drivers.
Older drivers are more likely to be in fatal accidents than most other drivers. Although drivers in their 60’s are among the safest drivers on the road, the rate of fatal crashes increases for drivers in their 70’s and spikes on a per-mile basis for drivers in their 80’s.
Elderly drivers are more likely to die in a fatal auto accident because their bodies tend to be frailer and heal less quickly than younger drivers. Cognitive difficulties associated with aging may also have a factor to play in the rate of crashes for elderly drivers.
Authorities say that the 71-year-old woman involved in this weekend’s car crash ran a red light at the intersection of North Elston Avenue and West Division Street and hit a car waiting to turn. The driver of the other vehicle was unharmed.
<< BACK TO BLOG POSTS