Woman killed in crash into South Side bus shelter ID'd

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A 67-year-old woman was killed and three other people were injured when a vehicle crashed into a car before plowing into a CTA bus shelter Tuesday evening in the Calumet Heights neighborhood on the South Side, police said.

The victim was identified by the Cook County Medical Examiner as Janice Gilmore.

Footage of the fatal accident was captured by security cameras at the Buddy Bear Car Wash across the street from the bus shelter. Cell phone video from a passing car captured the immediate aftermath of the fiery crash Tuesday evening.

The crash happened about 6:25 p.m. Tuesday near the intersection of 94th Street and Stony Island Avenue, Chicago police said, and involved a Chevy sedan and a BMW SUV.

Terry Bell was in his car at the intersection when the crash happened.

"The X5 was going northbound and the blue car was turning off to go eastbound. The light switched up and the X5 tried to blow through the light," he said.

Instead, Bell said the driver of the BMW hit the Chevy.

"She ended up smacking the blue car, spinning out, losing control, ended up smacking a light pole and smacking a bus stop. The person who was standing at the bus stop actually hit her so hard it tossed her over by the train tracks over there," Bell said.

Police said Gilmore lived a few blocks away from the stop, and was standing on the sidewalk waiting for the bus at the time of the crash.

The accident took out a traffic light at the intersection, so city crews worked to get it back up and running Wednesday morning. Police redirected traffic in the meantime.

The bus shelter, now reduced to a pile of debris is almost unrecognizable.

Frederick Little, who gets off at the same bus stop for work, kneeled down Wednesday morning to say a prayer for Gilmore. He said it is a dangerous intersection.

"I think the shelter may be a little too close to the street, and everybody is rushing and trying to beat the light at the intersection and stuff like that. And it's just unfortunate," Little said.

Shocked neighbors extended their condolences to Gilmore's relatives.

Three female victims took themselves to Trinity Hospital after suffering minor injuries, police said.

Two citations were issued to the driver of the BMW - failure to reduce speed and driving an uninsured motor vehicle.

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.