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Evanston man dies after one-car crash in Skokie
An 83-year-old driver from Evanston crashed into a tree and died Friday morning while traveling east on Dempster Street toward McCormick Boulevard. | MIKE ISAACS~Sun-Times Media
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Updated: March 1, 2013 7:01AM
An 89-year-old driver from Evanston crashed into a tree and died Friday morning while traveling east on Dempster Street toward McCormick Boulevard.
Police said they do not believe the driver, Dr. Irving Yaross, died from the accident, but suffered a “medical episode” before he crashed his vehicle. Though police did not say what the episode was, the village’s public safety bulletin stated Yaross suffered cardiac arrest after the crash.
Police Chief Tony Scarpelli said Yaross was traveling east and crossed into oncoming traffic before leaving the roadway and hitting a tree in front of a Charter One bank branch on the 3300 block of Dempster.
Dempster Street westbound lanes near McCormick Boulevard were closed off late morning to afternoon as police were on the scene investigating. The vehicle was a Toyota Corolla with Wisconsin license plates.
According to the public safety bulletin from the village, the crash occurred at about 11 a.m. with Skokie Fire units the first to respond to the scene.
The driver was conscious and alert when emergency personnel arrived, the bulletin stated. Yaross was then immobilized and placed on a backboard for support when he suffered cardiac arrest, according to the bulletin.
Emergency personnel followed life-saving procedures and Yaross was transported to Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston.
The village said roadway conditions did not appear to contribute to the crash. Personnel at the scene said the roadway was not slippery and the pavement was visible when the crash occurred.
Though the pavement was wet from snow that had fallen earlier Friday morning, Scarpelli said conditions were not believed to be a factor. The incident was more likely due to the medical episode causing the driver to lose control of his vehicle, he said.~
