Police have arrested a driver who was allegedly responsible for a fatal hit-and-run motorcycle accident on the Bishop Ford Freeway on Chicago’s Far South Side.
Rider Thrown From Motorcycle in Crash
On December 6, 2019, at approximately 2:15 a.m., 42-year-old Omarr Hill was driving his wife’s Buick LaCrosse sedan in the northbound lanes of I-94 near 111th Street, according to the Illinois State Police. He allegedly fell asleep at the wheel and struck 42-year-old motorcyclist Eric Smith, who was thrown from his motorcycle and pronounced dead shortly after the crash. On December 8, the Chicago Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death of Eric Smith an accident.
Hill fled the scene of the collision and abandoned the vehicle he was driving near the northbound Stony Island Avenue feeder ramp. Illinois State Police later found Hill walking along the expressway. He failed multiple field sobriety tests. A Breathalyzer test administered by state troopers registered a 0.17 percent Blood Alcohol Content (BAC), and a subsequent test at a hospital registered a 0.157 percent BAC, both well over the legal limit of 0.08 percent. Hill was arrested and charged with aggravated driving under the influence resulting in a death in the motorcycle accident.
How Motorcycles Place Riders at Risk
Motorcycles can leave their riders vulnerable in a way that other methods of transportation do not. With no metal frame surrounding motorcyclists, as with the drivers of cars and trucks, they are exposed to direct contact with other vehicles, obstacles, and the road itself. Because of this exposure, motorcycle riders are much more likely to be seriously hurt in a traffic accident.
In fact, while only 1.5 percent of all accidents involve motorcycles, motorcycle crashes are responsible for 5.0 percent of all traffic-related injuries and 16.7 percent of all traffic deaths in Illinois.
Chicago Motorcycle Accident Lawyers Who Can Get You Justice
However, even non-fatal motorcycle accidents can inflict catastrophic injuries, such as broken bones, road rash, disfigurement, loss of limbs, brain damage, spinal cord trauma, and paralysis. These injuries can be devastating, both physically and financially. To better ensure that you receive full and fair compensation if you are negligently injured in a motorcycle crash, reach out to the Chicago motorcycle accident attorneys at GWC Injury Lawyers LLC.
With over $2 billion recovered for our clients over more than four decades in the business, GWC is one of the premier Personal Injury and Workers’ Compensation law firms in Illinois. You can be sure that a motorcycle accident attorney at GWC has the experience and the proven record of success you need to help get you the justice you deserve.
Contact GWC today to schedule a no-cost, no-obligation consultation with a Chicago motorcycle accident lawyer. Call our office at (312) 464-1234 or click here to chat with one of our representatives at any time.
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