COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — A 71-year-old man, who was loading groceries into his car outside an Edgewater food pantry this week when a reckless driver crashed into him, lost his legs in the fatal accident, prosecutors said Friday.
The victim, Frank Kiley, and a 69-year-old woman were standing at the rear of their car, loading groceries into the trunk outside of the Care For Real Food Pantry, 5335 N. Sheridan Road, at about 11:15 a.m., Wednesday, prosecutors said.
Less than a block away, Vladimir Tsemakhman, 58, blew through the stoplight at Berwyn Avenue and Sheridan Road in a red Ford Focus, prosecutors said. He sped past other vehicles stopped for the light and then continued northbound.
Tsemakhman had traveled less than a block when he came upon a CTA bus traveling in the same direction on Sheridan, prosecutors said. He swerved into the northbound parking lane to get around the bus and crashed into Kiley and his female companion without ever hitting the brakes, authorities said.
Kiley's legs were severed and he was thrown into the air, prosecutors said. The woman suffered cuts and bruising all over her body.
The crash cause a chain reaction forcing Kiley's vehicle into another, prosecutors said. One car hit the CTA bus, causing several passengers to suffer minor injuries, prosecutors said.
Kiley was pronounced dead at the scene while four others were sent to area hospitals.
Tsemakhman, of the 800 block of West Belle Plaine Avenue, was charged with reckless homicide in connection with Kiley's death.
A Cook County judge ordered Tsemakhman held on $300,000 bail Friday during a brief court hearing.
