Monday, July 14, 2014

Semi Truck Driver Arrested After Accidentally Ramming Chicago Chinatown Train Station Killing 2

Semi Truck Driver Arrested After Ramming Chinatown Train Station Killing 2 --- ===
tags: Timeline 1900 To 2008, no charges, ruled accident, Medical Issue, cover story, unconscious, amnesia, Asian Victims (Chinatown), bad driving, lawsuit, truck, railway, vehicle attack, Cars Hit Building

2 killed 21 injured April 24, 2008 Two killed, at least 21 injured after truck crashes into CTA Train station An empty semitrailer truck driven by Don Wells which had just inexplicably skipped a scheduled cargo pickup drove at full speed as if was out of control with no brakes off an expressway exit ramp. Instead of stopping at the T to turn, it blasted straight through the busy intersection, and without sounding a horn, drove through pedestrians to ram a crowded escalator at the Cermak-Chinatown CTA train station. Two women were killed and 21 others, 7 with critical injuries, and at least 3 were children, were transported to hospitals. The family of the driver was awarded over $1 million in damages after the driver died in June 2008 of his injuries because they argued  a medical condition triggered the crash and should have got medical treatment instead of being arrested and cited for negligent driving before being released without charge.


Part of the station collapsed after the impact, requiring rebuilding the station. Some reported that the driver was slumped over the steering wheel before the crash, and friends of  the driver have been told he went unconscious just as he hit the exit ramp, and he can't recall anything after passsing out. The truck driver Don Wells refused treatment for lack of health insurance. He limped out of the hospital, was handcuffed and escorted by police to a waiting police wagon. The cause of the crash was never determined, as the driver passed a blood-alcohol test, but refused a urine drug test.  Wells was cited for negligent driving and released with no criminal charges, but he never returned home, and checked into Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn where the trucker survived surgery to control internal bleeding but deteriorated om heath. He died June 15, 2008. In April 2012, a  federal jury on Tuesday awarded more than $1 million in damages to the family of the driver after relatives argued in a lawsuit that Wells should not have been detained by Chicago police even though he needed medical attention from injuries he sustained in the crash. Originally dozens of police officers were sued who were involved in the investigation.

Alternate theory: Amok driver claims he went black just as he drove off the freeway exit, barrels full speed into a train station killing two and injuring two dozen, and his family sues the police and gets $1 million because his family says he should never have been arrested. It appears to be similar to a string of cars ramming and driving into big box stores such as Target, Costco, Walmart and Home Depot, sometimes with obvious political / religious / ethnic motives.

2 killed 21 injured April 24, 2008 Two killed, at least 21 injured after truck crashes into CTA Train station Chicago Tribune An apparently out-of-control semitrailer drove full speed down an expressway exit ramp, and instead of turning, it as steered through a busy intersection and maintaining highway speeds with screeching tires, rammed a crowded escalator at the Cermak-Chinatown CTA train station. Two people were killed and 21 others, 7 with critical injuries were transported to hospitals. Part of the station collapsed after the impact, requiring rebuilding the station. The truck driver Don Wells refused treatment for lack of health insurance. He limped out of the hospital, was handcuffed and escorted by police to a waiting police wagon.


*Reference 


Wikipedia 

Truck collision[edit]

The new main entrance in 2011

On April 25, 2008, a semi truck crashed into the station, killing two and injuring 21, at least seven critically.[2] Part of the station collapsed after the impact.[3] Bystanders said that the driver of the truck was coming off the northbound Dan Ryan Expressway exit.[2] The truck driver was taken into custody and died later in the year.[4] One month later, a Cottage Grove–bound Green Line train had a derailment near the 59th Street junction.


*Sources


Woman Files Lawsuit, Describes CTA Train Crash | NBC ...
www.nbcchicago.com › traffic › transit
WMAQ‑TV
Mar 25, 2014 - Two negligence lawsuits were filed against the Chicago Transit Authority a day after a Blue Line train derailed at O'Hare International Airport. 


City To Challenge Award To Family Of Trucker Who ...
chicago.cbslocal.com/.../city-to-challenge-award-to-family-o...
WBBM‑TV
apr 11, 2012 - Trucker Donald Wells is escorted by a police officer after crashing his semi into the Cermak-Chinatown 'L' stop, leaving two women dead and ... 

Family of trucker who rammed Chinatown CTA station gets $1m
articles.chicagotribune.com › ... › Chicago Police
Chicago Tribune
Apr 10, 2012 - Family of trucker who rammed Chinatown CTA station gets $1 million from city ... and injuring many others before he also died more than a month later. Relatives of Donald Wells argued in a lawsuit that Wells was detained by ... 


Cops Have to Answer for Handling of Dead Suspect
www.courthousenews.com/2012/01/27/43416.htm
Jan 27, 2012 - Donald Wells drove his big rig through a bus stop and into the L-train's ... After firefighters removed Wells from the cab of his truck, paramedics ... to charge Wells with a felony such as aggravated reckless driving or reckless ... 

Jury says city and some officers erred in his detention. Lawsuit said he needed medical attention.
April 10, 2012|By Annie Sweeney, Chicago Tribune reporter After nearly three days of deliberations, the jury held the city responsible for detaining Wells for too long and awarded $1 million in compensatory damages. The jury also held four police officers responsible for his detention, awarding Wells' family an additional combined $150,000 in damages from them. ...Dozens of officers were originally sued, including lockup keepers, the detectives who investigated the case and watch commanders in charge at the district where Wells was detained after the collision 

abc7chicago.com/archive/6871062/
Jun 18, 2009 - That accident last year killed two and injured more than 20 at a CTA station. The pictures of truck driver Donald Wells are unforgettable. Wells ...


Donald Wells, the truck driver behind the wheel in April's deadly crash into the Chinatown Red Line stop, died Friday. An autopsy Saturday was inconclusive, and his cause of death is still being investigated.  Wells, 64, of Metamora, Michigan, was ticketed for negligent driving in the crash but hadn't been charged criminally. [WBBM]  I-Team Report: The man behind the wheel | abc7chicago.com
abc7chicago.com/archive/6871062/
Jun 18, 2009 - That accident last year killed two and injured more than 20 at a CTA station. The pictures of truck driver Donald Wells are unforgettable. Wells ...

June 15, 2009  Donald Wells, the truck driver behind the wheel in April's deadly crash into the Chinatown Red Line stop, died Friday. An autopsy Saturday was inconclusive, and his cause of death is still being investigated. Wells, 64, of Metamora, Michigan, was ticketed for negligent driving in the crash but hadn't been charged criminally. [WBBM]  Contact the author of this article or email tips@chicagoist.com with further questions, comments or tips.  Margaret Lyons in News on Jun 15, 2008


Second City Cop: Another Ridiculous Lawsuit
secondcitycop.blogspot.com/2009/02/another-ridiculous-lawsuit.html
Feb 26, 2009 - The truck driver who plowed into a Red Line station in Chinatown last April, killing ... The lawsuit filed by Donald Wells' wife, Ann Darlene Wells of ... That being said, hopefully the families of the two people that died as a result ...   


Featured Articles about Chinatown - Page 3 - Chicago ...
articles.chicagobreakingnews.com › Collections
Feb 25, 2009 - Lawsuit: Cops refused to help driver in CTA crash ... condition" just before the crash, a federal lawsuit filed by the truck driver's family alleged.

Lawsuit: Cops refused to help driver in CTA crash - Chicago ...
articles.chicagobreakingnews.com › Collections › Lawsuit
Feb 25, 2009 - The truck driver who plowed into a Red Line station in Chinatown last April, ... a "medical condition" just before the crash, a federal lawsuit filed. 

Truck Accidents: Families Left Devastated
www.lawyersandsettlements.com › Feature Articles
Jun 22, 2008 - Meanwhile three lawsuits have been filed regarding an accident in which a three lawsuits have been filed regarding an accident in which a semi truck plowed into the Chinatown CTA station in Chicago. The accident, which happened in April, resulted in the deaths of two women and injuries to 21 other bystanders. One lawsuit, which was filed on behalf of a woman injured in the incident, alleges the driver, Donald Wells, operated his truck in a negligent manner, failed to given an audible warning, failed to stop or apply brakes and operated a tractor without a sufficient lookout.

According to the lawsuit, the victim suffered temporary and permanent injuries to her head and body. The suit seeks in excess of $50,000. The suit follows two other lawsuits filed by the families of the women who were killed in the accident. Both families filed wrongful death lawsuits against the Wells and his employer.

In a twist to the story, Wells died in hospital on June 13, 2008. He had been hospitalized since shortly after the accident although an autopsy has not determined his cause of death. Wells was initially in police custody following the crash and received a ticket for negligent driving. He allegedly had another person's prescription drugs with him when the accident occurred. There are reports that he suffered internal bleeding in the accident. 


June 13, 2008 Truck Driver from Chinatown Crash Dies: Chicagoist
chicagoist.com/2008/06/15/truck_driver_from_chinatown_crash_d.php
Jun 15, 2008 - Donald Wells, the truck driver behind the wheel in April's deadly crash into the Chinatown Red Line stop, died Friday. An autopsy Saturday was ...Truck Driver from Chinatown Crash Dies

Driver in Chinatown crash reportedly near death | null
abclocal.go.com//story?section=news/local&id=6171893
Go.com
May 29, 2008 - Truck driver Donald Wells was seen in public only once after the deadly accident, walking with Chicago police and apparently healthy. 

Metamora man, Donald Wells, posts clean driving records ...
www.mlive.com/.../metamora_man_donald_wells_post.ht...
Michigan Live
Apr 28, 2008 - April 28, 2008: Metamora man cited and arrested after truck hits Chicago train ... Donald Wells, 64, was cited for negligent driving in the Friday crash, which ... Two pedestrians died at the scene: Elosia Guerrero, 47, who was ... 

abc7chicago.com/archive/6163818/
May 26, 2008 - The first lawsuit has been filed in connection with April's deadly crashat the CTA's Chinatown Red Line train station. 


Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed In CTA Truck Crash :: Chicago ...
www.chicagopersonalinjurylawyerblog.com › Legal News
by Dave Abels - May 4, 2008 - Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed In CTA Truck Crash :: Chicago ... the Dan Ryan Expressway near Chinatown when it crashed into the train station ... 

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Chicago Car Accident Lawyer | Auto Bus Truck & Motorcycle ...
www.corboydemetrio.com/practices-car-accident.html
Prior to filing a lawsuit, the family of a realtor, represented by Michael Demetrio and .... Michael Demetrio Discusses Chinatown Redline CTA Truck Crash Court ...



STORY: Lawsuit filed in CTA Chinatown accident The family of one of the victims, 47-year-old Elouisa Guerrero, filed a wrongful death suit against Wells and his employer, Whiteline Express. The suit seeks unspecified damages.

STORY: Truck driver cited in crash at CTA station

STORY: CTA crash survivors asking questions































CTA Chinatown crash truck driver dead | abc13.com


abc13.com/archive/6206438/









Jun 16, 2008 - The truck driver whose semi smashed into a CTA station in April died. Sixty-four-year-old Donald Wells of Metamora, Michigan died either late ...


























Bitches in Blue: Another Bullshit lawsuit against the CPD


bitchesinblue.blogspot.com/.../another-bullshit-lawsuit-against-cpd.html









Feb 25, 2009 - The lawsuit filed by Donald Wells' wife, Ann Darlene Wells of Metamora, Mich., ... Love these jerkoffs who cant read *sigh* The truck driver died ...







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