Signs Posted At Burr Ridge Fatal Crash Site

BURR RIDGE, IL – Burr Ridge resident Steve Smid spoke up earlier this year about the need for safety improvements at a local intersection.

On June 17, 2022, his wife, Susan Smid, was bicycling when a pickup truck crashed into her at Wolf Road and 79th Street, killing her. The driver was cited on a charge of improperly overtaking a bicyclist.

Among the witnesses was Steve Smid.

Late last week, Smid forwarded an email from a Cook County official about a development at the intersection: New pedestrian signs were posted.

The roads in question are largely without sidewalks. One corner of the intersection includes a few feet of sidewalk.

Months ago, Smith made his views known about the intersection during the county's effort to seek public feedback on ways to improve 2.3 miles of Wolf Road.

"They're not going to rush to do this. I don't get why you can't do something temporarily, like putting up signs to tell drivers to watch out for pedestrians and bicyclists," Smid told Patch in an interview in January.

Smid said he did not know if added signage would have made a difference in his wife's case.

"You never know," he said. "Going forward, I think it can help."