Tragically, yesterday afternoon a reckless BMW sedan driver struck and killed Concepcion Lopez, 82, as she waited at a CTA bus stop in the West Ridge community area.
According to police, on Wednesday, May 11, at about 1:05 p.m., Lopez was sitting in the bus shelter on the south side sidewalk of the 2100 block of West Peterson Avenue, just north of Rosehill Cemetery and across the street from a Target store. She was waiting for the #84 Peterson bus.
The location of the crash. Image: Google Maps
Peterson is part of the Illinois State Road Highway 14 route, essentially a traffic sewer designed to take drivers between DuSable Lake Shore Drive and the north and northwest suburbs as quickly as possible, despite the fact that it's a surface road that runs through some urban areas with heavy pedestrian traffic. As such, it has a wide five-lane "stroad" layout that encourages high speeds.
Police said the eastbound 42-year-old male driver of a black BMW careened onto the sidewalk, striking the Lopez and destroying the shelter. The passenger side of the windshield was shattered. The senior was pronounced dead on the scene.
Peterson is a five-lane stroad at this location. Image: Google Maps
The driver was taken to St. Francis Hospital in good condition. He was cited for failure to keep within lanes and driving an uninsured vehicle.
Drivers killing people waiting for CTA buses is a disturbingly common phenomenon. Here are some examples from recent years.
In April 2018, a speeding SUV driver struck and killed Janice M. Gilmore, 67, while she was waiting for a CTA bus at a shelter and injured five other people in South Deering.
In June 2019, a police chase in Jeffery Manor ended with the death of Michael Jordan, 27, who was sitting in a CTA bus shelter when the fleeing driver struck him.
Also in August 2019, Myrna Logan, 81, and several other people were standing at a bus stop at Fullerton and Cicero Avenues when a driver struck them, killing Logan and injuring several others.
In September 2021, a 52-year-old woman was killed while waiting for a bus in Auburn Gresham by a hit-and-run driver who ran a red and struck another vehicle.
In December 2021, a 68-year-old woman was standing at a bus stop at 75th Street and St. Lawrence Avenue in Grand Crossing when a Jeep driver ran a red, struck another vehicle, and veered onto the sidewalk, pinning the senior against a building and killing her, a similar scenario to the Auburn Gresham fatality.
BMW models were in two of the top slots for car models with the most DUIs.
On February 28 of this year, a 26-year-old male BMW sedan driver ran a red light on a left-turn arrow on DuSable LSD at Balbo Drive, killing Divvy bike rider Gerardo Marciales, 41. Here are some other recent Chicago pedestrian fatality cases involving BMW drivers.
The speeding motorist from the aforementioned April 2018 crash that killed Janice M. Gilmore was driving a BMW SUV.
In September 2018, a 29-year-old male BMW sedan driver overtook another motorist while making a left turn and killed Lorraine Campion, 91, as she crossed the 5500 block of Sheridan Road in Edgewater.
Why does driving BMWs correlate with high rates of dangerous behavior? BMWs are fast, expensive vehicles, so it may be disproportionately common for their owners to speed and behave irresponsibly because of a wealth-based sense of entitlement.
The fact that U.S. traffic fines are typically the same for affluent and poor people (although Chicago recently launched a half-off ticket program for low-income residents) may also be a factor. $100 is a very minor inconvenience for a wealthy person. That's why some European countries like Finland have sliding-scale traffic fees, and charge millionaires tens of thousands of dollars when they get caught breaking the speed limit.
Fatality Tracker: 2022 Chicago pedestrian and bicyclist deaths on surface streets
Pedestrian: 7 Bicyclist: 3
Note: Streetsblog Chicago’s traffic death numbers represent fatal crashes on Chicago surface streets, based on media reports and/or preliminary Chicago Police Department data released by the Chicago Department of Transportation.
In addition to editing Streetsblog Chicago, John writes about transportation and other topics for additional local publications. A Chicagoan since 1989, he enjoys exploring the city on foot, bike, bus, and 'L' train.
Saturday's event was a reminder that there's no better way to get to know a neighborhood than taking a walk with others, enjoying live music, and supporting local businesses.
One of the coolest new things on the on-street route is the treatment of Belmont near and over the Chicago River, by the southern trailhead of the north-south path.