One bicycle accident, worldwide implications
Whenever there's a bad accident in the area, you pretty much know it's going to be in the Chronicle. When the person who died is world-renowned, more than just your local paper will pick up the story. (I tried to copy and paste it here, but that function is not working tonight for some reason, either from WGN or NBC Chicago. I kept seeing the same Associated Press story in a few places, though.)
Long story short, famous architect Helmut Jahn was riding his bicycle in Campton Hills when he blew through a stop sign on Old LaFox Road at its T-intersection with Burlington Road. It's been many years, but I've been through there a few times, on the way to Aunt Bev's house, where my friend Dave would have parties (via the infamous "right-left-right" directions--he didn't know street names, just that you turned right on one street, Burlington; left on another, Empire; and then right again into her country subdivision). Aunt Bev's is maybe a mile from there.
It's country out there; the speed limit is fast, and surely cars go faster. At that point that he blew the stop sign, two cars coming from either direction converged, and he was struck by both of them. He died at the scene. One news report said he had a farm in St. Charles; who knew? I got a pop-up about the story on my iPad and went to mention it to my parents; they'd never heard of him. Guess I read enough Trib articles by Blair Kamin back in the day that I knew the name instantly. Among other buildings, he designed the Thompson Center. His Wikipedia page lists buildings all over the world. It's just surreal to think of someone known, in certain circles, the world over would meet his demise just miles from my house, in such an unusual and tragic manner. Of the two cars that hit him, one of the drivers did go to the hospital for treatment. Just random and sad.
Long story short, famous architect Helmut Jahn was riding his bicycle in Campton Hills when he blew through a stop sign on Old LaFox Road at its T-intersection with Burlington Road. It's been many years, but I've been through there a few times, on the way to Aunt Bev's house, where my friend Dave would have parties (via the infamous "right-left-right" directions--he didn't know street names, just that you turned right on one street, Burlington; left on another, Empire; and then right again into her country subdivision). Aunt Bev's is maybe a mile from there.
It's country out there; the speed limit is fast, and surely cars go faster. At that point that he blew the stop sign, two cars coming from either direction converged, and he was struck by both of them. He died at the scene. One news report said he had a farm in St. Charles; who knew? I got a pop-up about the story on my iPad and went to mention it to my parents; they'd never heard of him. Guess I read enough Trib articles by Blair Kamin back in the day that I knew the name instantly. Among other buildings, he designed the Thompson Center. His Wikipedia page lists buildings all over the world. It's just surreal to think of someone known, in certain circles, the world over would meet his demise just miles from my house, in such an unusual and tragic manner. Of the two cars that hit him, one of the drivers did go to the hospital for treatment. Just random and sad.