A Chicago police officer was killed in an early morning car accident Monday. 

Third-generation police officer, Sgt. Alan Haymaker, was killed in the line of duty when he lost control of his squad car on an icy ramp on Chicago's Lake Shore Drive. Haymaker had been assigned to work the street on the overnight shift in the Town Hall District, he was responding to a call of a burglary in process, shortly before 5:30 a.m. when the accident occurred.

Assistant police superintendent for the city, James Jackson, said Haymaker was trapped inside his squad car after it smashed into a tree and pole. He was pronounced dead around two-and-a-half hours later. Jackson said "icy road conditions were a factor," adding that he was deeply saddened by the loss. "Words cannot express the sorrow we feel..."

Haymaker is the first Chicago police officer to die in the line of duty this year. 

If you or someone you know has been injured in a Chicago car accident, please contact a Chicago personal injury lawyer of Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C. by calling 312-466-8200.

A soldier who was a student at Western Illinois University, was killed in a car accident Saturday while on leave from Iraq.

Luke Matthew Heck, 20 year-old soldier in the Army Reserve, was visiting family and friends while on leave from Iraq. Heck was driving in Columbus juction when a car driven by 25 year-old Francisco Chariz-Ortiz crossed the center line and collided with Heck's vehicle. The crash resulted in four deaths.

Heck, 42 year-old Sharon Vandel as well as her 21 year-old daughter, Nichole Vandel, and 29 year-old Ezra Barnett.

Nichole Vandel was transported by helicopter to Iowa City with serious injuries. She was released Monday.

It is unknown why Chariz-Ortiz crossed the center line, but authorities believe alcohol may have been a factor. 

If you or someone you know has been injured in an Illinois car accident, please contact a Chicago personal injury lawyer of Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C. by calling 312-466-8200.

Four men were killed after their car crashed and rolled over in Crest Hill, Illinois.

The names of the four men have not been released. Police officials say the men range in age from their early twenties to thirties. A family member of one of the men informed authorities that the deceased were all friends who had grown up together in Romeoville, Illinois. 

Paramedics and police responded to a call about an accident on the 2000 block of Weber Road shortly before 1:30 a.m. Saturday. According to Crest Hill Police Sgt. Anthony Rossetti, police found a black 2005 Lexus ES330 flipped over and the four occupants appeared to be dead; this was confirmed by paramedics who arrived at the scene a few minutes later.

Rosetti said that the cause of the accident has yet to be determined, but early reports released by the Illinois State Police indicate that the vehicle may have collided with a nearby tree.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an Illinois car accident, please contact a Chicago personal injury lawyer of Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C. by calling 312-466-8200.

The parents of a toddler that was killed in a car crash last week have filed a lawsuit after the suspect was released on bond. 

On February 1, Joshua Molina and Amy Alanis' 13-month-old son, Joshua, was killed in a car crash along with two family friends, Orlando Rodriguez and Aldo Maldonado. According to police, the suspect in the fatal crash, Putiporn Kaewmooka, was fleeing the scene of another wreck when he collided with Molina's vehicle.

Kaewmooka was charged in both crashes and received five citations. He was recently released on bond. 

Attorney Timothy Cavanagh, speaking for Alanis and Molina, said "We do not feel that [Kaewmooka] has been charged with the appropriate citations or crimes. He has just been charged with traffic citations right now... Not only was he driving too fast. He was driving in the wrong lanes, and in the middle of the night he didn't have his lights on. This conduct goes way beyond simple negligence. It's a reckless disregard for human life."

If you or a loved one has been injured in an Illinois car accident, please contact a Chicago personal injury lawyer of Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C. by calling 312-466-8200.

The total number of vehicles that the Toyota MotorCorporation has had to recall for accelerator pedal issues has reached 8.1million. The automaker confirmed the total on Thursday.

Of the 8.1 million figure, 5.8 million vehicles wererecalled for a design defect which caused gas pedals to become stuck underneathfloor mats. 5.3 million of these vehicles were recalled in the United States.

An additional 4.5 million vehicles worldwide are beingrecalled for a pedal malfunction in which excess friction causes the pedal tostick. Of these 4.5 million vehicles, 2.3 are under recall in the U.S.

The number of recalled vehicles may increase after anannouncement Thursday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.The agency explained that it has received in excess of 100 complaintsnationwide of poor brake performance in 2010 model Toyota Prius’s. The NHTSA islaunching a formal probe into the matter.

When asked if another recall was in the works, a spokesmanfro the automaker said “we would like to be given more time.”

If you or someone you know has been injured in a Chicago caraccident, please contact the Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers of Friedman &Bonebrake, P.C. by calling 312-466-8200.