Rolling Meadows, IL : Two men killed in a wrong-way crash on Route 53 in northwest suburban Rolling Meadows early Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Rolling Meadows, Illinois
A cab driver from Lisle and a man from Mount Prospect were killed in a three-vehicle crash early Tuesday on Illinois Route 53 in Rolling Meadows, officials said.
The victims were identified as Peter Wierzbicki, 64, who was a driver for American Taxi, and Zachary Sipe, 21, Illinois State Police said.
According to a preliminary investigation by state police, Sipe was driving a 2014 Toyota south in the northbound lanes of Route 53 near Euclid Avenue about 4:10 a.m. when he crashed head-on with a 43-year-old Palatine man, who was driving a 2010 Chevrolet. Police said Sipe then continued the wrong way and crashed head-on with the 2006 Toyota taxi van, driven by Wierzbicki, according to the preliminary investigation.
Joe Zayed, president of the Mount Prospect-based American Taxi, said Wierzbicki was an independent contractor who was not working at the time of the fatal crash and did not have passengers in the vehicle.
"This one is really hitting home, as he worked with us a long time, and was a very nice guy," Zayed said.
State police said earlier Tuesday that no one else was injured in the crash.
The crash severely impacted rush-hour traffic in the area. Authorities closed the northbound lanes of Route 53, and all traffic was diverted to Kirchoff Road. But all lanes were reopened by late morning.
Source :
Cops: Two killed after man drives wrong way on Route 53 in Rolling Meadows