Details surrounding the cause of Sunday’s Oak Lawn crash that left three people dead and 11 others injured remain unclear after an autopsy Tuesday revealed little about the driver involved in the crash.
According to the Cook County medical examiner’s office, Edward Carthans, 81, died of multiple injuries sustained in a motor vehicle collision.
Oak Lawn Mayor Sandra Bury said the accident took place just before 5 p.m. when a vehicle was traveling west and collided with cars waiting at a stoplight at the intersection.
Citing witnesses, investigators said Carthans appeared to slump over the steering wheel while near West 95th Street and South Western Avenue. He reportedly told people who came to help that he was OK and drove off.
A short time later, Carthans crashed into four cars at West 95th Street and Keeler Avenue in Oak Lawn, police said. He then sped off "at a high rate of speed" and collided with the other vehicles at 95th and Cicero.
Bury and Village Manager Larry Deetjen confirmed three people were killed and more than 10 others were injured in the accident. The deceased were identified Monday as Sister Jean Stickney, 86, and Sister Kab Kyoung Kim, 48. Both were from the Little Company of Mary Sisters.
Police said Wednesday that investigators were still trying to determine the speed of the vehicle before the crash and were waiting for toxicology results, which could take several weeks.
