Authorities have identified 35-year-old Yoketha L. Brown as the victim killed late Sunday night after a wrong-way SUV driver struck her car head-on near Oakwood Boulevard.
Editor’s Note: This article updates previous coverage with the official identity of the victim released by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Authorities have publicly identified the 35-year-old woman killed late Sunday night in a violent head-on crash caused by a wrong-way driver on DuSable Lake Shore Drive.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim as Chicago resident Yoketha L. Brown.
The fatal three-car collision occurred at approximately 11:20 p.m. on Sunday in the 4000 block of DuSable Lake Shore Drive near the Oakwood Boulevard exit.
According to the Chicago Police Department, an adult male operating a black SUV was traveling southbound in the northbound lanes.
The speeding SUV collided head-on with a white sedan driven by Brown.
The intense force of the initial crash triggered a chain-reaction impact, forcing Brown’s vehicle to strike a nearby black coupe.
Paramedics with the Chicago Fire Department rushed to the scene and transported Brown to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in critical condition.
Medical staff at the hospital pronounced Brown dead a short time later due to severe blunt force trauma.
No other drivers or passengers involved in the three-vehicle wreck sustained physical injuries.
Responding officers arrested the driver of the black SUV at the scene and took him into police custody.
Police officers closed all northbound lanes near Oakwood Boulevard for nearly nine hours while reconstruction teams surveyed the crash site.
The prolonged road closure forced CTA buses to reroute and caused massive traffic delays stretching into Monday morning’s commute before lanes reopened at 8:30 a.m.
Charges against the driver remain pending as the Chicago Police Department Major Accident Investigation Unit continues its probe.
News of Brown’s death triggered an outpouring of grief across social media from heartbroken friends, family, and fellow healthcare workers who remembered her as a dedicated VA nurse and mother.
“She was a VA nurse,” one community member shared. “We’re losing one of our own.”
“God please give me strength I’m not as strong as you think I am I feel so weak you broke me Ke,” one loved one posted on Facebook.
Colleagues who worked alongside Brown expressed shock upon arriving at work Monday morning.
“They hated us when we at work together,” a coworker wrote. “I walked in this morning to get this news. My heart is shattered into pieces. It will not be the same without you here.”
Others emphasized her hard work and devotion to her young child.
“To the family of Ketha Key I send my condolences and to her baby girl your mom stood on business for you,” another friend posted. “Yoketha girl I’m HURT.”
Community members also expressed frustration over the lack of official details regarding the driver currently held by police.
“Release the person in custody name,” one user demanded online. “She deserves justice, driving is a privilege not a right! Justice for Her.”
