ACCIDENTS A REMINDER TO PLAY IT SAFE

Just one week ago, shortly before 11 a.m. June 4, another potentially tragic accident involving a young child and a vehicle occurred in La Grange, but this time it was over in the 300 block of South Brainard Avenue just south of Maple Avenue and involved the seemingly innocent decision of a young girl in crossing an otherwise busy thoroughfare right at the wrong time.

Although no tickets were issued in the incident and the 6-year-old La Grange girl was treated for minor injuries and released from Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital shortly thereafter, it was just one of those things we need to remind ourselves about safety.

Even though Cari Cook of Countryside probably didn't know she'd have difficulty lifting her baby stroller onto the opposite curb at 8th Avenue after leaving the sidewalk on the north side of 47th Street the day she was struck and killed by a passing motorist, the mismatched intersection is not an official crosswalk like those painted on 47th at 9th and La Grange Road.

The same goes for last week's accident, in which the little girl ran across Brainard, in the middle of a block, to get to a babysitter on the other side. She even yielded to a school bus before shooting across and getting struck in the southbound lane by a car driven by a 71-year-old Burbank man who was not issued any traffic citations.

Police said due to the age of the victim, a statement was not obtained from her. But the driver of the 2006 Saturn Nevada said he had just turned south on Brainard off Maple when he saw a woman standing on the west parkway of Brainard waving her hands. He then saw a child run across Brainard, but he couldn't stop in time and struck her.

A 19-year-old witness from Clarendon Hills told police she was also standing on west side of Brainard when she saw the other woman motion with her hands for the girl not to cross just before she did and was struck.

Since safety along 47th has become a main priority of the village and a newly formed resident's action group, we thought we'd take a look at how many accidents along the La Grange stretch of the road were reported to police since the May 19 fatality.

One occurred during the June 8 evening rush at Madison Avenue, another during the June 5 evening rush at La Grange Road, another came just before the May 28 evening rush at East Avenue -- and yet another at 4:15 p.m. May 20 at the 9th crossing just one block away and a little more than a day from when Cook was killed. Another fender-bender occurred at 4:20 p.m. May 19, less than five hour's after Cook's crash, again at East and 47th.

And that's not counting -- Oops! -- the 18-year-old La Grange girl and her 19-year-old Western Springs passenger who spared injuries and traffic tickets when she lost control and spun sideways into a tree on South 6th Avenue near 48th Street when she hit the gas pedal instead of the brake at 1:20 a.m. May 30.
OR
Sarah E. Lastovich, an 18-year-old Romeoville girl who was taken to the Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital for treatment and issued two traffic citations after she lost control, struck a curb, hit a tree and flipped over on the parkway in the 100 block of East while driving south just before Lincoln just 90 minutes later that morning. Police said she became distracted when she tried reaching for her cell phone.

Even though accidents are common, especially in cut-through areas like 47th, where speed and a woeful lack of attention to the road and everything around us are often big factors, it's time to wake up and drive.

Don't fret. You'll get there soon enough.

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It's almost summer, and kids like to throw things at cars, like eggs. That was going on at 47th and Brainard at 11:15 p.m. June 9, but the culprits got away by the time police arrived. Earlier that day, at about 3 p.m., other kids were throwing bottles -- at people this time -- on the east side of the top deck of the parking garage, 80 S. 6th Ave. That report was delayed by 10 minutes and those brats also fled.

A 13-year-old boy and another male of an undisclosed age were caught shooting off fireworks at Lincoln and Sawyer avenues near Sawyer Park next to the La Grange Community Center. They weren't hurting anyone or trying to, but were advised it's wrong and sent on their way.

"Unauthorized swimmers" in the downtown village fountain on the west side of the parking deck on the warm evening of June 8 also were sent on their way, as were the estimated 50 kids standing in the street for no apparent reason in the 100 block of Washington Avenue just five minutes later.

Firefighters from La Grange, Brookfield, McCook, Western Springs and the Pleasantview Fire Protection District responded to a fire call at Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital, 5101 S. Willow Springs Road, at 8:18 p.m. June 9. They found and extinguished a fire in the dishwasher area of Building B.

Now here's the real bad news
A home in the 300 block of East Elm Avenue was entered and burglarized while the residents were inside at 3 a.m. June 9. The two male subjects, dressed in all black, forced their way inside and stole a Toshiba Integrated High-Def LCD television and were seen running away from the house. When police were told they possibly ran west from the house, officers tried to pursue the suspects on foot all the way to Elm and 7th Avenue, to no avail.

Police believe a side window found open on a house for rent in the 200 block of South 9th at 3:47 a.m. June 9 may have been related.

Attempted theft downtown
Three boys of unknown ages and wearing dark clothing entered Hot Rags, 43 S. La Grange Road sometime before 5:30 p.m. June 4 attempted to take some items before running from the store north on La Grange Road toward the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad tracks, a store clerk told police. After she noticed the trio had left with a shirt, they returned it but still ran away. She said she would not be able to identify them if they returned to the business.

Children on skateboards rode through the newly poured cement in the first block of the Bluff Avenue reconstruction project, it was reported at 8:34 p.m. June 4. No damage was discovered and the skaters could not be located. Maybe the cops need skateboards.