Community Corner
I-80 Between Harlem and LaGrange: Why So Many Crashes?
Two fatal accidents happened on Interstate 80—one near Harlem Avenue and the other near LaGrange Road—in the last two days involving trucks and motorcycles.
By Ben Feldheim, Orland Park-Palos Patch Editor
Two similar fatal accidents happened within the last two days on Interstate 80, involving trucks and motorcycles, and both were within a week of a three-car accident along the same stretch of highway near Harlem Avenue and LaGrange Road.
On Monday morning, two people riding a motorcycle were killed on I-80 west of LaGrange Road after they struck the rear of a dump truck. On Saturday, a Joliet woman was killed after she struck a truck while riding a motorcycle on I-80 near Harlem Avenue. Last week, at least three vehicles were involved in a crash on I-80 near LaGrange Road, with at least one person injured.
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According to the Illinois State Police, accidents have been common along the stretch of I-80 near Harlem Avenue and LaGrange Road since the I-355 extension from I-55 south to I-80 opened up in 2007. Additionally, the Illinois Department of Transportation listed the westbound off ramp from I-80 onto LaGrange Road as the second most accident-prone intersection in 2010, with 56 crashes.
READ: 2 Killed in Motorcycle vs. Truck Crash on I-80 at LaGrange Road
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So what exactly makes the two intersections and nearby areas so dangerous?
“Most of the accidents we have are people failing to see the people in front of them while turning,” Illinois State Police Sgt. Scott Angus told Patch on Monday. “They’ll be sitting at a light waiting to turn and another driver just won’t see that they are still waiting to turn. A lot has to do with sheer traffic volume, ever since the 355 interchange opened down here. Plus, you have an increase in truck traffic.”
Angus said drivers simply have to pay more attention, especially while driving in that area of highway.
READ: Joliet Woman Killed in Weekend Motorcycle Crash on I-80
“That’s really all you can do,” he said. “When traffic slows up, and no one is paying attention, people don’t really have time to avoid it.”
YOUR TURN: Why do you think this stretch of I-80 is so prone to accidents? Is there something motorists should be doing—or not doing—to make it safer? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
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