Oak Lawn Cops Release Recordings of 911 Calls From Fatal Accident that Killed Nuns

Oak Lawn police have released recordings of the 911 calls from the multi-vehicle pileup at 95th Street and Cicero Avenue on Oct. 5.

The 911 calls, acquired by Patch through the Freedom of Information Act, detail the chaotic moments of the worst traffic accident in Oak Lawn’s history. The crash killed two nuns from Little Company of Mary, Sr. Jean Stickney, 86, and Sr. Kab Kyoung (Anna) Kim, 48. The sisters were waiting at the head of a line in the center eastbound lane on 95th Street when a pickup truck swerved across the intersection and hit the sisters’ car head on.

The driver of the Ford F150 pickup truck, Edward Carthans, 81, also died in the crash. The traffic accident impacted 11 vehicles and injured 23 in addition to those killed.

The Cook County Medical Examiner said that all three victims died of of multiple injuries sustained in the accident. Toxicology and emissions testing to determine if the driver of the pickup truck was under the influence or overcome by carbon monoxide due to an emissions problem is still pending.

Approximately ten minutes before the accident, a motorist called 911 a man slumped behind the wheel of a pickup truck at 95th Street and Western Avenue. When Evergreen Park went looking for the sleepy driver, they could not locate the truck. A freedom of information request has also been submitted for this call.

Following are the emergency calls received from Oak Lawn 911 dispatchers in six parts between 4:26 and 4:28 p.m. on Oct. 5:

Recording #1 - Details the first call that came in at 4:26:59 p.m. Oct. 5, when a caller reports that a “big old truck” had just run them off the road near 95th Street and Keeler Avenue, where Oak Lawn police said Carthans hit three vehicles before continuing westbound on 95th Street.

After several seconds of silence, the initial calls of the massive car wreck start coming in rapid succession. In the background, the voices of other 911 dispatchers from Oak Lawn’s Emergency Communications Center can be heard.

Recording #2 - Calls continue to flow in at 4:27:14 p.m. Another person from the first accident reports that her vehicle was struck by a “semi-truck” near 95th Street and Keeler. She tells the 911 dispatcher that two cars were involved, unaware of the calamity a few blocks up the street.

Other callers describe “cars on top of cars” and a truck embedded in a vehicle’s windshield. Ambulances are needed. The 911 dispatcher reassures callers than paramedics and police are on the way.

Recording #3 - Multiple dispatchers are now fielding 911 calls from frantic witnesses at the intersection.

Recording #4 - Another report of the accident at 4:27:31 p.m. The caller tells the dispatcher that ambulances are needed.

Recording #5 - Recording #5 - At 4:27:49, a woman can be heard telling the passengers in her vehicle, “don’t anyone get out of the car.” The call is followed by man, who reports “bad injuries” at the corner of “Route 53 [Cicero Avenue] and 95th Street.”

Recording #6 - With the front of the truck embedded in the nuns’ car, the caller goes around to the back of the Ford F150 and reads the plate number to the dispatcher at 4:28 p.m. The sirens from emergency vehicles are heard for the first time and the caller tells the dispatcher that Oak Lawn police have arrived on the scene.

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