Woman, 5-year-old injured in Near North Side crash

Police say a 65-year-old woman suffered serious head and neck injuries, while a 5-year-old child sustained lower body injuries

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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A 65-year-old woman and a 5-year-old child were struck by a minivan while crossing the street in the 400 block of East Illinois Street on the Near North Side of Chicago on Sunday afternoon. The woman suffered serious head and neck injuries and was hospitalized, while the child sustained lower body injuries and was treated and released from Lurie Children's Hospital. The 53-year-old driver of the minivan was not injured but received a citation, and detectives are investigating the crash.

Why it matters

Pedestrian safety is an ongoing concern in dense urban areas like Chicago's Near North Side, where high foot traffic and busy streets can lead to dangerous collisions. This incident highlights the need for increased driver awareness and infrastructure improvements to protect vulnerable road users.

The details

Around 1:18 p.m. on Sunday, a gray Toyota minivan driven by a 53-year-old man was traveling east on Illinois Street when he struck the two pedestrians crossing the intersection in the 400 block of E. Illinois Street. The 65-year-old woman sustained serious head and neck injuries and was transported to Northwestern Hospital, while the 5-year-old child suffered lower body injuries and was taken to Lurie Children's Hospital, where they were treated and released. The driver was not injured but received a citation, and detectives are investigating the incident.

  • The crash occurred around 1:18 p.m. on Sunday, March 9, 2026.

The players

65-year-old woman

A pedestrian who suffered serious head and neck injuries in the crash and was transported to Northwestern Hospital.

5-year-old child

A pedestrian who sustained lower body injuries in the crash and was taken to Lurie Children's Hospital, where they were treated and released.

53-year-old man

The driver of the gray Toyota minivan who struck the two pedestrians and was issued a citation, but was not injured.

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The takeaway

This incident underscores the need for increased driver awareness and infrastructure improvements to protect pedestrians, especially vulnerable populations like children, in dense urban areas like Chicago's Near North Side.