A driver is fighting for their life after suffering a medical emergency and crashing on the Edens Expressway early Wednesday morning.
The accident occurred just before 6:20 a.m. in the inbound lanes of I-94, just past Winnetka Road.
According to the Illinois State Police and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), the driver went into cardiac arrest while behind the wheel.
The Crash and Medical Response
After losing consciousness, the driver lost control of the vehicle and slammed into a wall.
Emergency responders arrived quickly and transported the driver to a nearby hospital.
As of the latest update, officials describe the driver’s status as “extremely serious.” No other vehicles were involved in the crash, and no other injuries were reported.
Major Traffic Delays
The crash caused significant headaches for morning commuters heading into Chicago.
Police blocked the two left lanes of the Edens Expressway for several hours to investigate the scene and clear the wreckage.
At its peak, the backup lasted over an hour for inbound drivers.
Traffic on the outbound side also slowed significantly due to a “gapers delay” as onlookers viewed the scene.
All lanes have since been reopened, though delays lingered throughout the morning.
The Illinois State Police have not released the identity of the driver at this time.
