Semi Vs. Work Van Crash With Entrapment Shuts Down 71st And Harlem, 7 Injured

BRIDGEVIEW, IL—A semi-trailer vs. work van crash early Wednesday in Bridgeview sent seven people to the hospital and closed a stretch of Harlem Avenue during the morning rush hour.

Just after 4 a.m., he Bridgeview police and fire departments were dispatched to 71st Street and Harlem Avenue for an accident with inuries.

Multiple 9-1-1 callers reported a work van vs. semi-trailer with entrapment. When officers arrived, a van was on its side with heavy damage and multiple passengers trapped inside, Bridgeview police said.

Officers assisted firefighters until more units arrived. Mutual aid was requested from Bedford Park firefighters for the extraction. A call also went out for five additional ambulances.

Both the Bridgeview and Bedford Park fire departments worked on removing the injured from the vehicles. Two more ambulances were requested, including the truck driver, bringing the total to seven patients. All the injured were transported to area hospitals, with two people reported in critical condition.

Due to the severity of the crash, Bridgeview police requested a Suburban Major Accident Reconstruction Team to reconstruct the crash. The intersection of 71st and Harlem reopened around 9:30 a.m.

~This story will be updated when more information becomes available.