THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2008

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Heart Attack Caused Crash

By TROY BRUZEWSKI

Journal Reporter

According to a Cook County Medical Examiner's report, a collision last week caused by a taxi that drove onto downtown Des Plaines railroad tracks and struck a train, was prompted by the automobile driver suffering a heart attack.

The taxi driver, Robert Wells III, 42, of Des Plaines, was pronounced dead at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge last Thursday evening. A bystander also was struck after the collision. Ricky Collins, 48, of Chicago, suffered minor injuries.The incident occurred at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14 at Pearson Street. Wells apparently suffered a heart attack, then his car drifted through the gate and onto the tracks, where it struck Metra train No. 645.

According to the Des Plaines Police Dept., impact from the collision caused the Community Cab taxi to spin backward, away from the tracks, with both the car and train coming to rest at the rail crossing, where it struck Collins.

Art Zern, Des Plaines Fire Dept. battalion chief, said there likely is no way to confirm whether the heart attack preceded the taxi drifting onto the tracks.

"Based on the coroner's report he had a heart attack previous to going onto the tracks, when he went through the gate, which was closed, or closing," Zern said.

Wells was pronounced deceased at the hospital an hour later. Collins, the bystander, was treated for minor injuries to his hip and leg.

Dean Dinev, owner of Community Cab, said Wells had no previous health-related problems. In fact, to maintain a license to operate a cab, a driver must pass a yearly physical and notify the examiner of any such problems in his medical history.

"(Wells) couldn't have gotten the license, without passing the exam," he said.