12-Car Wreck on South Side Kills Driver, Injures 3

Video provided by Todd Sherman | Network Video Productions

A multi-vehicle wreck on the South Side left one dead and injured three others Thursday afternoon.

Chicago police said that the driver of a car, possibly a Toyota, was driving at a high rate of speed when it ran a red light and smashed into several cars near Archer and Austin in the Garfield Ridge neighborhood around 4:15 p.m.

Chicago Police News Affairs reported the location as the 5400 block of South Austin Avenue.

The driver of that vehicle was pronounced dead on the scene. A witness said the vehicle was towed away by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office with the body still inside.

A total of 12 vehicles were involved, including a livery vehicle, said a Chicago police sergeant. The accident left a debris field that extended for blocks. The scene was still being cleared well into the evening.

Three people were taken to area hospitals with injuries. Their conditions were unknown.

Police determined that driver who died was at fault. The driver has not been identified. It is not known if drugs or alcohol were involved.

Freelance photo journalist Todd Sherman contributed to this report.