Three women dead in fiery crash
July 30, 2010
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS)-- Three women killed in a fiery crash on the city's South Side will have to be identified by dental records. The car the women were riding in slammed into a light pole near the intersection of Sacramento and 47th Street on the city's South Side early Tuesday morning. Police said the car was driving erratically before it crashed at 12:30 a.m.
Friends say the women, two of whom are mothers in their 20s, were celebrating one of their birthdays Thursday night.
"They were cool. They were friendly," said Angie Parker, victims' friend.
"She was a really sweet person. She made everybody laugh and stuff," said Cloe Simms, victims' friend.
The medical examiner will have to rely on dental records to identify the victims because their bodies are so badly burnt. The bodies were transported to the ME in the charred car.
George Guevara was one of several people who tried to save the victims from the fire engulfed Chevy Monte Carlo.
"It was just too late. Because the second lady -- we seen her moving, but it was just too late. Her whole left side started burning," said Guevara. "I was, like, lost seeing that and the moving. She started screaming for help."
Witnesses say the crash was so powerful that the light pole sliced right through the car. Witness Juan Quinones said he saw the aftermath and found it heart wrenching to watch the victims in flames after rescue attempts failed.
"Before the whole car got on fire, everyone tried breaking the windows. Unfortunately, they couldn't. With their bare hands they couldn't break the windows until they got a hammer or something. One of them actually got the window to break," said Quinones.
Police said earlier reports that another car was involved are unfounded.
"They were good people," said Simms.
Obviously these three women were drunk and speeding, considering the massive collision onto the pole. What a waste of life. They will certainly do not do that again. RIP.