Bus Crashes Into Niles Animal Shelter

By Pam DeFiglio, Patch.com

A driver lost control of her school bus Wednesday afternoon at Touhy and Harlem Avenues in Niles and crashed into Wright-Way Animal Shelter.

Both the driver, a 62-year-old woman, and a 22-year-old woman who was likely a driver-in-training were treated and released at a hospital, said Niles Police Department Sergeant Robert Tornabene. No one else was on the bus. 

All the animals have been accounted for, with the possible exception of one cat, which may have escaped, he said. 

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Christy Anderson, one of the owners of Wright-Way, said there were 25 animals in the shelter today, mostly dogs. They were in cages, and Niles Fire Department personnel brought them outside the building, which may have structural damage.

Wright-way volunteers and supporters from the neighborhood, such as Lori Bielawski and her daughter Katie, came over to the shelter when they heard the crash. They were holding dogs on leashes on the lawn of a neighboring business, and one volunteer used a garden hose to fill bowls with water for the animals in the hot sun.

"They're scared, but there are people out here to comfort them," said Liz Guerrero, a Wright-Way employee.

Touhy Avenue is blocked off between Harlem Avenue on the west and Milwaukee Avenue on the east and will likely remain so through rush hour.

The front of the bus is wedged into the front of the building, and Tornabene said removing the bus could cause destabilize it or cause structural integrity problems. 

There is also an antenna mounted on the roof with cables, and if it falls, it could fall on power lines in back of the building, away from Touhy Avenue. That could impact Niles Public Works operations and the Niles pumping station, he said. If that should occur, they may have to work off a generator.

The crash occurred as the driver was heading southbound on Harlem Avenue trying to take a left turn onto eastbound Touhy Avenue. Tornabene said police are investigating whether there was a mechanical failure or if driver error occurred.

Fortunately, no one was in front of the building or in the front part of the building when the crash occurred. The animal cages are toward the back of the building.

Christy Anderson said she was thankful that the owner of Georgia Nut Company in Skokie had sent a semi-trailer to transport the animals and their cages. 

"Tonight the animals will go to a building owned by Georgia Nut. Tomorrow--I don't know," she said.