Two people died and 10 were transported to hospitals in a major car accident Wednesday night on Chicago’s South Side, authorities said.
The crash happened at 5 p.m. at South Cottage Grove Avenue and East 87th Street, police said, an intersection near the Chatham neighborhood. Paramedics needed at least 10 ambulances to respond to the crash, Chicago Fire Department spokesperson Larry Merritt said.
“Obviously there was a high rate of speed involved, an extremely high rate of speed,” he said, adding that six cars appeared to have been involved in the crash.
Two people were pronounced dead at the scene, Merritt said. The 10 people transported to hospitals included four people in either serious or critical condition.
“There were men, women and children, and they went to various hospitals,” Merritt said.
One car was turned over, and another that caught fire was “completely disintegrated,” Merritt said.
“It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before, and I’ve seen many accidents,” he said.
