A teenager was killed overnight when his out-of-control car slammed into a utility pole and a viaduct on Chicago's Northwest Side, police said.

The crash occurred about 11:05 p.m. Wednesday in the 4600 block of West Grand Avenue, in the city's Belmont-Cragin neighborhood, police said. Pablo Leon, 18, was alone in the car when it went out of control, crashed through a guardrail and slammed into a utility pole, breaking into several pieces.




Teen dies in crash (Tribune photo by Chuck Berman)
January 18, 2007

Special report


Teens at the wheel




Leon, of the 4600 block of West Montana Street, was taken to Stroger Hospital of Cook County, where he was pronounced dead at 5:51 a.m. today, according to a Cook County medical examiner's office spokesman.

No one else was reported injured in the crash, Chicago Fire Department spokesman Richard Rosado said. Detectives with the police Major Accident Investigation Unit were trying to determine the cause of the crash this morning.

 

i heard of a camaro hitting a pole? thats not a camaro though like u said. that is a bad looking accident though he had to be flying!

 

By the looks of it, it's possible he was speeding.

 

Yeah I'd say so... That sucks.

 

its possible. i can tell that firefighters had to extricate him, so he hit really hard.

 

speeding or not...sorry to hear about a DEATH dont know who he is though.

 

it possibly could have been someone on here, he has c6 black rims, not very common, and alot of guys on here have them

 

i thought those were c5 rims? i thought c6 is that snowflake kind?

 

those are C6 rims. That was one nasty wreck.

 

wow thats sad to hear

 

That's a sketchy area of Chicago if I am not mistaken, I used to commute in Grand from Harlem to downtown a few years ago.

 

thats the worst, i feel for everyone that knew him. No matter the conditions, thats horrible!! Wire harness anyone??

 

That's horrible... I wonder if I can snag the ash tray lid. Mine broke the other day

All kidding aside, the kid HAD to be flying. Anyone who knows the circumstances of my accident knows how fast I was going, and that I hit a median and then wrapped my car around a tree and still walked away. I had no airbags in the car, no bumper supports, and I wasn't wearing my seatbelt, and I walked away. The kid had to have been doing around 150. My thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family.

 

I feel so bad for his family. No parent should have to get the call that their kid is dead.

Out of curosity I would like to know how fast he was going to cause that much damage.

 

what do they do with cars like that, junk yard? or smashed and recycled, thats the worst ive ever seen an fbody

 

most likely junk yard, thats how things go around here.

 

it depends on where the pole hits the car and just luck. ive seen cars split in half by poles at 70-80 mph. whatever the case that is sad to hear such a young man lose his life in this or any manner.

 

Ouch, thats pretty bad, I have seen people crash at 100mph, one threw a brick wall (died) and it looked not even near that bad.

Cut the car in half. I don't think they had to cut him out, the drivers door, part of the roof, and the drivers quarter pannel are wraped around the pole meaning thats the side that hit first.

Bet that they found him not in the car. Notice the head rest gone? OUCH! Also the passenger door.....
I would say 130+ sadly.

Feel bad for the family.

 

Yea speed or not it's luck of the draw!! Matt you were very lucky, you could have died! A few inches here or there and it would have been you. It's a shame, everyone has to use their head!!!

 

OMG...Never seen a wreck that bad