Woman Killed In Fiery River North Crash
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A woman was killed in a high-speed collision early Monday in the River North neighborhood, and the crash forced the closure of the Ontario feeder ramp for more than seven hours.
Police said the crash happened around 2 a.m. at the intersection of Ontario and Orleans streets. A speeding 2009 Nissan failed to negotiate the curve onto the Ontario feeder ramp, and instead slammed into at least two utility poles.
Surveillance video of the crash shows the car exploding in flames as it is cut in half after striking two utility poles.
A 20-year-old woman who was a passenger in the car was pronounced dead at the scene. Her name has not been released.
The driver was able to get out of the vehicle, and fled the scene, leaving a trail of blood for at least a block.
Jordan Hack saw the video of the crash, and said she can't believe anyone survived.
"How? That doesn't make any sense. That doesn't make any sense," she said.
Hack, like the woman who died, is just 20 years old. She said news of the deadly wreck serves as something of a cautionary tale.
"You have to be aware of who you know, and who you're driving home with, especially late at night on a weekend," she said.
Police have not said how fast they believe the car was going, but some experts who viewed the video said it appeared the car was traveling more than 80 mph.
Officials shut down the Ontario feeder ramp to the Dan Ryan and Kennedy expressways after the crash while police investigated and performed an accident reconstruction. The ramp reopened around 9:30 a.m.
