Crime & Safety

3 Dead In Fiery Crash Near Niles and Morton Grove

The Village of Skokie says truck had right-of-way and SUV driver went through a stop sign.


By Pam DeFiglio and Jennifer Fisher, Patch.com

Update, 10:20 a.m. Wednesday:

As of 10 a.m. Wednesday morning, the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office said the victims of yesterday's car crash had not been identified. A representative confirmed that three people were killed, but said she could not provide their genders or ages.

Original Story:

A Village of Skokie garbage truck was involved in a brutal crash which killed three people at about 12:45 p.m.Tuesday at Harlem Avenue and Harrison Street in Glenview.

The driver of the garbage truck was heading to the Glenview transfer station and had the right-of-way in the two-way stop-sign intersection when the driver ignored the stop sign and drove into the intersection, where the garbage truck struck it, according to the Village of Skokie's website. Both vehicles caught fire, which the Glenview Fire Department extinguished.

Abclocal.go.com posted photos which show the truck's front wheels atop the mangled, charred wreckage of the vehicle.

The garbage truck driver, who is shaken but physically unharmed, has a 19-year record of good service as a Skokie employee, the village said in its statement. Required post-incident protocols are being followed, it said. 

Police are not releasing the names of the victims until families have been notified, according to Glenview Police Cmdr. Dave Sostak.

No charges had been released as of press time. 

Find out what's happening in Niles-Morton Grovewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In addition to Glenview police and firefighters, members of the Major Crash Assistance Team also responded to the accident.

"The Village of Skokie expresses deep condolences to the victims' families and concern for all of those involved in this tragic incident," officials said in the release.

Find out what's happening in Niles-Morton Grovewith free, real-time updates from Patch.


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