POLICE BLOTTER FOR JULY

The good news is that fewer accidents are being reported along 47th Street, which saw as many as a crash every other day in the few weeks following the May 19 fatality that resulted in the death of a 30-year-old Countryside woman.

The bad news is that despite improved traffic safety measures such as pedestrian barriers and a speed limit digital readout, drivers still seem to be traveling down the state roadway at a pretty good clip. What's it gonna take? Speed bumps?

Anyway, the most serious accident this week was not on 47th at all, but at Ogden and Waiola avenues, shortly before 5 p.m. June 28, when an '02 Olds Bravada collided with a '97 Chevy Blazer, sending one driver, 68-year-old Brookfield resident David Duax to the hospital after he was extricated from his Blazer by La Grange paramedics. Seems Katrinas Matysik, 18, of Western Springs, was eastbound on Ogden making a northbound turn onto Waiola when she thought Duax was going to stop at the yellow light but proceeded ahead and collided with him on the turn. Duax, treated at Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital, was ticketed for failure to yield turning left.

However, there still were four fender-benders on the stretch of 47th between La Grange Road and East Avenue between June 22 and 29, including at 2 p.m. June 29 at the entrance to the Sedgwick Park parking lot at Bluff Avenue; at La Grange Road at 10:55 a.m. June 26 and 12:15 p.m. June 22 and at East Avenue at 4:15 p.m. June 23.

While taking a ride on her Schwinn bicycle at 9:40 a.m. June 26, La Grange resident Laura Topps took a fall onto the street after hitting a curb on the east side of Brainard Avenue at Ogden and was taken by paramedics to Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital. Topps, 54, of 740 S. Spring Ave., was riding northbound on the sidewalk when she fell for unknown reasons.

Another accident occurred at Ogden and Brainard shortly after 5 p.m. June 21, resulting in one injury. An '01 Chevy Impala driven by Patrick Nauss, 22, of 146 N. Dover Ave., La Grange was westbound on Ogden stopped at the intersection attempting to turn south onto southbound Brainard when he struck the driver's side front wheel and fender of an '03 Chevy Suburban driven by Jeffrey Feichtinger, 28 N. Spring Ave., La Grange, sending Feichtinger to Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital. Nauss, who was cited for failure to yield, told police that due to others traveling east on Ogden, he did not see the other driver in the curb lane. After striking the Suburban, the driver went between two light poles, ran over a fire hydrant and came to rest on a sidewalk.

Police said two Western Springs boys and two La Grange girls -- all 18-years old -- reported being the victims of a simple battery while hanging out in the downtown business district at about 10:30 p.m. June 29. One of the victims is the son of a former Cook County judge.

Five kids seen playing with fireworks or believed to have been seen starting things on fire at Maple and Bluff avenues at about 4:45 p.m. June 29. Police found the children, all under the age of 10, playing with matches, and sent them home.

Two 16-year-old boys were cited for criminal trespass to property after allegedly entering Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad property at Maple Avenue at about 5:15 p.m. June 29. Those cited included Israel Guadalupe Jr. and Jorge Gomez, both of Brookfield.

A group of 10 to 15 boys were reported fighting in the 100 block of West Cossitt Avenue at about 10:10 p.m. June 29 were mostly gone when police arrived. Others were told about curfew violations and sent home.

Sad that it's come to this
A group of kids walking past an elderly man's yard in the 700 block of South Kensington Avenue said they were concerned about the man's intentions when he asked if they wanted to pick some raspberries. They refused and kept walking and later told their parents, who called police. The 77-year-old man told police he was just being friendly.

A lock was discovered broken on a garage door in the first block of Sawyer Avenue shortly after 1 p.m. June 29.

A 27-inch red boys Schwinn Sidewinder bicycle owned by a La Grange resident was reported missing after it was left at Sedgwick Park, it was reported to police June 29.

A stray dog found at 6th and Harris avenues at about 6:50 p.m. June 28 was brought to the Broadview Animal Hospital by police. The dog was a brown boxer/pit bull.

Ahhhhhhhhh La Grange!
More "unauthorized" swimmers were reported in the downtown fountain at 8:10 p.m. June 28. They were found to be by the water but not in it. Somebody should report the complainant for having waaaay too much time on their hands.

A police officer on foot patrol shortly before 3 a.m. June 27 found an open rear storage door at Horton's, 60 S. La Grange Road.

A resident of the first block of Bluff Avenue reported to police that when she arrived home on the night of June 26, she discovered someone had broken into her bedroom.

Police reported finding a 2-year-old boy near his home in the 800 block of South 7th Avenue looking for his parents shortly before 4:30 p.m. June 26. Police discovered the father asleep in the basement. The child was released to his mother, who arrived home while officers were still there.

And in the world of sports ...
An 18-year-old La Grange man told police someone dented his truck by throwing a football at it as he drove down the first block of North Poplar Avenue at about 6 p.m. June 26. The offender, who was not charged or ticketed, told police he threw the ball because the truck driver was traveling too fast down his residential street. Police told the offender not to take the law into his own hands.