WICKER PARK — A woman who narrowly avoided a head on collision with the driver of a van going the wrong way on Ashland Avenue is asking for the public's help in locating any footage or witness accounts from the hit-and-run crash.
"If anyone saw any plate info or business info on the van, or any businesses around that intersection have security cameras, this will be huge help," Erin Drain, a Wicker Park resident, posted on the DNAinfo Facebook page for Wicker Park/Bucktown.
Drain said she was driving southbound in the 1500 block of North Ashland Avenue around 3:55 p.m. on Wednesday when a van drove over the median going in the wrong direction and almost collided with her 2007 Honda Accord head on, but she was able to avoid a major impact.
"Fortunately I was able to swerve enough right as it was happening so it didn't turn into a full head on collision," Drain said.
Officer Bari Lemmon, a Chicago Police spokeswoman, is looking into the accident report. Anyone with information can email Drain directly.
Drain's car had damage to its front bumper, driver's side panel, side view mirror and tire and is undergoing repairs. The car required towing from the scene.
Drain said that a commercial van, possibly a "sprinter"-style cargo van, collided with her around the intersection of Ashland and Pierce avenues.
A long metal pipe also came off of the other vehicle and punctured both of the tires on the driver's side of Drain's car.
Drain, who was on her way to visit a friend in Pilsen, said she was going about 20 miles per hour and it was raining. The van was going faster than her and "barely slowed" after the impact, she said.
In a Facebook post, Drain said, "I'm sore and absolutely freaked out, but more than that, overwhelmed with gratitude that the head-on, hit-and-run collision I was involved in yesterday afternoon with a wrong-way driver barreling up my lane in a commercial vehicle on Ashland was something I could walk away from. I'll be taking some time to let that soak in."
Drain said she suffered whiplash and seatbelt soreness and is thankful that she was paying attention to the road.
"PSA: Be careful on the roads, friends. Pay attention. Watch out for pedestrians and cyclists and respect the responsibilities and dangers of driving a fast, heavy machine. Get. Off. Your. Phone. It's not just about you impairing your own driving and frivolously putting others at risk, it's also about being able to respond swiftly when someone else is doing something dangerous that's putting you at risk. As much as what happened to me sucks, I was paying attention and it saved my life," Drain said.
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