Running Community Surrounds Bolingbrook Resident Struck By Tow Truck

BOLINGBROOK, IL — As a runner, Joe Vukits has never been one to take chances and is always sure to be keenly aware of his surroundings and of the potential dangers that await around every corner.

But the 37-year-old Bolingbrook resident suddenly faces a road filled with uncertainty after he was struck by a tow truck on Monday evening while running. Vukits remains in stable, but critical condition in the intensive care unit at a local hospital, where he has undergone multiple surgeries for his injuries, his family said.

A GoFundMe effort started by his wife, Nicole, has raised more than $18,000 toward a $50,000 goal as of Wednesday. Vukits sustained multiple fractures, including complex pelvic and spine fractures, a major concussion, and two collapsed lungs, according to the fundraiser.

His family said that Vukits was able to speak with his family after the accident on Monday night and knows who everyone is, according to the GoFundMe page. But friends and fellow runners say that he faces a long road to recovery after Monday’s accident.

Bolingbrook Police said that Vukits was struck by a tow truck shortly after 6:30 p.m. near the intersection of Boughton Road and Brighton Lane. An investigation determined that the tow truck was towing a work van when it braked, but was unable to avoid hitting Vukits, who was running south and crossing Boughton Road at Brighton Lane, police said.

The incident remains under investigation.

Yet, as police continue to look into the accident, Vukits’ friends and fellow runners from the Schaumburg-based Fast Track running club are struggling to figure out what happened.

“Joe was not a risk-averse runner and so for this to happen to him is not only surprising but really is a head-scratcher,” said Chris Schiel, who owns Xtra Mile, a running shoe and supply store in Schaumburg, and who has known Vukits for more than 10 years.

“It’s just really hard. It’s really hard to articulate what we’re all going through and what we’re all thinking. What’s really hard is that there is just so much uncertainty. … There’s no real clear path forward.”

Since the accident, Schiel has seen the local running community come together and surround Vukits’ family, who remains shaken by Monday’s accident and the condition the local runner finds himself in. Members of the Fast Track club and other runners have come together to provide care packages and cards for Vukits’ small family, Schiel said Wednesday.

But with so many unanswered questions, friends and fellow runners are still trying to figure out the best possible way to help their friend’s family get through this difficult time. He said not only is the GoFundMe providing financial support for Vukits’ family, but it is providing supporters with a coping mechanism as they emotionally come to grips with Monday’s accident.

He said Vukits is a guy “who is always there for you,” Schiel said, becoming emotional. And because of who Vukits is and because of the manner in which he ran was so careful, watching him and his family go through this ordeal has been even tougher.

“Joe was not a runner who does stupid stuff,” Schiel told Patch on Wednesday. “He liked to stick to simple routes, if the light was yellow, he stopped, he didn’t try to rush through. He was a very safety-conscious runner, and the thing that sticks out in my mind was, ‘how did this happen?’ and I think that’s what sticks out to a lot of us.”

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