Joliet Teen Crashes Suzuki Motorcycle, Moved To Loyola: English

JOLIET — The Joliet Police Department announced on Tuesday night that the 19-year-old Joliet teenager thrown from his Suzuki motorcycle, landing on Plainfield Road's pavement, has been airlifted to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood with life-threatening injuries.

The teenager was driving his motorcycle at a high rate of speed, prompting his crash that happened at 4 p.m. at Plainfield Road and Voyager Lane, near the Louis Joliet Mall, Joliet police crash reconstruction experts determined.

According to Joliet police spokesman Dwayne English, a preliminary investigation determined a Volkswagen Atlas driven by a 39-year-old Romeoville woman was eastbound on Plainfield Road/Route 30 at Voyager Lane in the left turn lane.

The Volkswagen initiated a left turn toward northbound Voyager Lane and collided with the Suzuki motorcycle driven at a high rate of speed by the Joliet 19-year-old going westbound on Plainfield Road at Voyager Lane, English said. The teen was thrown from his motorcycle during the collision.

It is believed that the intersection’s stoplight was turning red from yellow at the time of the crash, English indicated.

The motorcyclist was rushed to Ascension St Joseph Medical Center by the Joliet Fire Department with life-threatening injuries. Since then, he was flown by helicopter to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood for further medical treatment. No other injuries were reported during the collision.

Plainfield Road was closed for several hours Tuesday evening as Joliet police reconstructed the crash. No citations have been issued as this crash remains under investigation by the Joliet Police Department Traffic Unit, English notified Joliet Patch.