Witnesses said an 81-year-old man was seen slumped over the wheel of his truck before he was involved in a four-car crash and then a separate head-on collision.
Edward Carthans was reportedly seen slumped over the wheel of his Ford pickup truck in Evergreen Park, Illinois just before 4:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon, October 5, 2014. When someone offered him help, Carthans allegedly said he was okay and drove away according to our sister station, WGN-TV.
Police were called, and they checked the area for several blocks in all directions, but they could not locate Carthans’ truck, the Oak Lawn Patch reported.
A short time later, Carthans was reportedly involved in a four-car crash less than a mile west of where he was seen slumped over the wheel. Carthans allegedly fled the scene of the crash at a high rate of speed. No serious injuries were reported.
Carthans continued westbound, traveling a little more than a mile before he allegedly ran a red light, veered into oncoming traffic and slammed head-on into several stopped vehicles in Oak Lawn, Illinois. Witnesses reported Carthans was driving 80 to 100 miles per hour according to a report from ABC affiliate WLS.
Carthans died at the scene, along with two nuns from Little Company of Mary Sisters. The nuns were identified as 86-year-old Sister Jean Stickney and 48-year-old Sister Kab Kyoung Kim.
At least 11 people were taken to area hospitals from the second crash, and two of those people were hospitalized in critical condition.
Less than ten minutes reportedly elapsed between the time someone reported Carthans slumped over the wheel and the time of his second wreck.
