New I-80 Safety Forum Announced By RUSH

(The following press release was issued Wednesday by Dave DiLorenzo, University of St. Francis Director of Community and Government Relations.)

JOLIET, IL - On Tuesday, August 7, 2018 from 6:30 – 8 p.m., Residents United for Safer Highways (RUSH) will host its second community town hall meeting in the Moser Performing Arts Center at the University of St. Francis, 500 Wilcox Street, Joliet, 60435. Doors open at 6 p.m. and seating is limited.

The RUSH Community Town Hall Meeting is open to the public and will bring together transportation agencies and experts as well as invited local elected officials. The group will discuss immediate and long term options to make Will County’s Interstates and highways more safe. The following topics will be covered:

Widening of I-80 from Rt. 30 in New Lenox to River Road in Minooka

Indiana’s success in adequately funding transportation needs

The meeting will be moderated by 1340 AM WJOL Program Director and Morning Host Scott Slocum. Confirmed speakers for the meeting include Robert Schillerstrom, Chairman of the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, Edmond Soliday, Indiana State Representative, Frank Manzo, Policy Director for the Illinois Economic Policy Institute, and Marc Poulos, Executive Director of the Indiana, Illinois & Iowa Foundation for Fair Contracting.

Minooka residents David and Kim Gaydula will also share their story about their accident on Interstate 80 on March 20, 2016. The husband and wife were traveling eastbound on I-80 when the tractor trailer in front of them kicked up a large piece of concrete/asphalt from the roadway, which was sent airborne and crashed through the front windshield of their vehicle, striking Kim.

Among the injuries she sustained were a loss of three teeth on impact, six other teeth that were fractured or broken, a crushed bone that supports the tooth sockets on both her upper and lower jaw, a laceration to her face, a laceration from her lip up to her nose, a fractured wrist, shattered glass embedded deep in her hand, and pieces of asphalt/concrete embedded in her face and mouth. Even today, almost 28 months after the accident, Kim still struggles with physical and emotional complications. The couple wants to share their story because they feel the accident was avoidable, and that the road conditions and volume of truck traffic on I-80 need to be properly addressed.

Several local elected officials are invited to attend the event, including Will County Executive Larry Walsh, Sr., State Senators Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, Pat McGuire, and Sue Rezin, State Representatives Margo McDermed, Natalie Manley, Larry Walsh, Jr., and David Welter, and Mayor of Joliet, Bob O’Dekirk.

Comments and questions from the audience will be welcomed as part of the meeting. For event updates, please listen to Scott Slocum on 1340 AM WJOL weekdays from 5:30 – 9 a.m. or visit http://www.wjol.com and scottslocum@wjol.com with questions about the meeting.

File image taken by Joliet Patch at last November's inaugural RUSH I-80 Safety Forum