Semi Crashes Into House, Kills Driver

Family members from Georgia en route to be with young girl who survived crash

A semi-truck swerved into oncoming traffic early Thursday, crashing into a Calumet City house and landing on a car.

Police say the driver of the semi was killed in the accident. The driver was identified by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office as Joseph Foster, 37, of Georgia.

Foster's daughter was with him in the cab, but she survived the wreck, officials said. Family members from Georgia were on their way Thursday night to be with her.

Two teenagers were inside the car that was crushed. The trailer came down on the back seat, and both teens, traveling from a church event at the time of the accident, were unhurt.

"I was like, 'Whoa, is he gonna slow down? What is he doing?'" said Tyler Weightman, whose car was crushed by the semi. "I tried stopping, and I just saw him come at me. We spun and his trailer fell on us."

"I didn't start screaming until I got out of the car," said Raelyn Zenon, a passenger in the car. "For the most part I just sorta braced myself, and I was just hoping that it wasn't going to be too bad."

The cab of the semi went into the front door of the house. No one inside the home was injured.

"I heard screeching brakes but it was continuous," said homeowner Don Hartkoorn, who had just walked from the front to the back of the house before the crash. "I heard an impact and then the whole house exploded."

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