Child Killed in Skokie Traffic Tragedy

 Posted on May 23, 2012 in Traffic Offenses

One Skokie family will never be the same. Nhu Vo remembered his son, Carter Vo, while standing in front of the memorial erected to mourn his death. The 8-year-old was killed at the corner of Main Street and St. Louis Avenue as a result of a chain reaction accident on Monday afternoon. The accident ended with a vehicle striking the boy on the sidewalk.

Carter was a very smart second grade student that attended Madison Elementary School in Skokie. He aspired to be an engineer and had even recently thought of being a fighter pilot, according to his father.

Carter was pronounced dead about four hours after the accident. He died of multiple trauma to the head and his death was ruled an accident by the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

The intersection is controlled by two-way stop signs and according to police, village engineers are going to review possible safety issues at the intersection. Residents have complained about the danger of the stretch of road between Crawford Avenue and McCormick Boulevard for several years. The area of issue is about one mile long and the speed limit is 30 miles per hour. Many residents report that the speed limit is not followed most times.

The Vo family is originally from Vietnam and has resided in the village of Skokie for approximately 10 years. Private funeral services are scheduled for Carter on Wednesday. Carter’s classmates are making cards for the grieving family.

There have been no charges filed as of yet in this case.

Dangerous intersections and driving conditions are not the ideal way of travel for any driver. However, it is important to remember that even the most ill designed roadways do not absolve the driver from responsibility of safely operating their vehicles.

If you find yourself in a situationwhere your actions have in some way caused a traffic accident or injury, be sure to consult with a Chicago traffic attorney.