WRIGLEYVILLE — Jubilation over a Cubs World Series win quickly turned to terror for some fans out celebrating near Wrigley Field Wednesday night.
Hundreds of thousands of fans turned out to Wrigleyville streets to celebrate the first World Series win for the North Siders in over 100 years, according to the city. While the party only netted a handful of arrests and hospital visits, the density of the crowds near the ballpark was overwhelming and considered dangerous by some.
Aymie Telinski said she and her friends were nearly trampled, saw bloodied fans and had a firework go off near their feet.
"It was terrifying," Telinski said. "I almost regret going out."
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Telinski said she and her friends left her Buena Park apartment and got to Clark Street in the 5th inning of last night's game.
The atmosphere was jovial and it was not so crowded at that point, Telinski said.
"It was fun," she said. "Everyone was dancing, laughing, spraying champagne."
Towards the end of the game, Telinski said her group tried to leave the sidewalk near HVAC Pub, 3530 N. Clark St. to head towards the Cubs marquee near Clark and Addison, but could not get far.
Once a Cubs win was secured, the crowd got a little too large and rowdy, she said.
"It was almost instantaneous," she said. "Everyone was trying to get to the same place."
The crowd started to ebb and flow, and Telinski said she had no control over her movement. She got stuck near Clark and Eddy streets, where she saw about 10 people fall under the pulsating crowd.
"It turned to chaos," Telinski said. "My feet weren't even on the ground. The crowd was just moving you.
Aymie Telinski (l.) and her friends were nearly trampled while celebrating near Wrigley Field Wednesday. [Provided/Aymie Telinski]
Telinski told the person next to her that she was having a hard time breathing, she said. The man helped to make some room in the throng of people for Telinski to breathe, and the two of them eventually made it to an alley and away from the crowd.
That's when she met up with a friend who was "sobbing," Telinski said.
"She saw a person just covered in blood," she said. "She wanted to help but didn't want to get trampled."
Prior to all of this, a firework exploded near their ankles, Telinski said.
"It was the craziest thing," she said.
The massive crowd of people near Wrigley Field was a headache for officers tasked with controlling the crowd. There were reports of fans ripping out stop signs and downing light poles, according to unconfirmed chatter on the police scanner.
There were 35 people taken to area hospitals from the celebration last night, according to Fire Department Spokesman Larry Langford. Only one person was considered seriously hurt — a man who fell off a light police, Langford said.
Police arrested 14 people as of 3 a.m. Thursday, mostly for disorderly conduct, according to the Office of Emergency Management and Communication. (The office did not have an official estimate for the crowd, but said "hundreds of thousands" were on hand.)
State troopers had worked to form a line along Clark and Addison to stop people from entering the intersection near the marquee. More officers were dispatched to south Clark Street to help thwart a large crowd walking northbound towards the park, according to DNAinfo reports and the police scanner.
Telinski said she saw plenty of officers during the game but could not find any during her time of duress due to the crowd's volume.
"It was the most terrifying thing I've ever experienced," she said.
Despite that, Telinski said she does not regret her decision to witness history with thousands of others.
Asked if she would head back to Clark Street if the Cubs even get back to a World Series, Telinski said "definitely."
"I just wouldn't go near the marquee," she said.
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