THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2008

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DP Man Escapes Crash Just In Nick Of Time

By BOBBY CHILVER

Journal Reporter

A Des Plaines man reportedly drove through a concrete barrier and was pulled from his car just before a train crashed into it in Wheeling early Tuesday morning.

Jun Woo Lim, 28, of the 10000 block of Linda Lane in Des Plaines, was driving on Palatine Frontage Road, which U-turns at the Canadian National Railroad tracks, when his 2003 white Honda Civic hatchback struck the concrete barrier wall of the bridge over Palatine Road and continued on the tracks at around 2:37 a.m. Tuesday morning.

The passenger of the vehicle, Woo Y Shin, 27, was able to escape and pull Lim out before a train hit the vehicle.

Lim was transported to Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge with non-life threatening injuries and Shin was treated and released at Glenbrook Hospital, according to Wheeling Deputy Chief Bill Benson.

Lim was also expected to be treated and released. He has been charged with Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and traffic offense.

The passenger, Shin, who is the owner of the car, was charged with permitting an intoxicated person to drive.

Benson said the blood alcohol level of the driver is not available yet as they are waiting for hospital tests and no alcohol was found at the scene.

Both are scheduled to appear in court on May 1 at the Rolling Meadows courthouse.

The railway was shut down from 2:45 a.m. until 5:45 a.m. but no delays were experience by Metra, according to Benson.