Man killed after being struck by car, tow truck in Gresham
Chicago police at the scene of a fatal accident Jan. 23, 2020, in the 800 block of West 87th Street. | Sam Kelly/Sun-Times
CHICAGO - A 64-year-old man died Thursday after being hit by a car and a tow truck in Gresham on the South Side.
Joseph Townsley Jr. was walking in the middle of Halsted Street about 11:40 p.m. when a westbound Chevrolet Impala struck him as he crossed 87th Street, Chicago police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.
A vehicle behind the Impala swerved out of the way to avoid an accident, and a tow truck traveling behind both accidentally hit him again, authorities said.
He was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn and pronounced dead, authorities said.
An autopsy found Townsley Jr. died of multiple injuries from the crash, the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. His death was ruled accidental.
Both the driver of the Impala, a 22-year-old woman, and the tow truck, a 29-year-old man, stayed at the scene, police said. No charges or citations are pending Friday morning.
Hours after the crash, the tow truck could be seen pulled over on the side of 87th Street with multiple other vehicles. Two men in tow uniforms, one with a tear-lined face, stood on a grassy median as rain fell steadily.
Area South detectives and the Major Accidents Unit are investigating.
Chicago police at the scene of a fatal accident Jan. 23, 2020, in the 800 block of West 87th Street. | Sam Kelly/Sun-Times