Lawsuit Filed Against Illinois Toll Authority in Death of Man on Tollway as State Builds Protective Barricades in Same Area

Clifford Law Offices filed a lawsuit last week (Dec. 30) against the Illinois Toll Authority for the family of a 52-year-old man who was killed when the driver of an SUV lost control and crossed a grassy median on the Northwest Tollway, landing on top of another SUV in oncoming traffic.

Timothy Rommel was killed as he was in the process of moving from Hanover Park to a townhouse under construction in far west suburban Huntley. His wife, Barbara, was traveling separately in a car behind him and witnessed his tragic death.

Since 2003, at least 11 people have died near two tollway plazas on a stretch of I-90 between Elgin and far west suburban Hampshire. Construction workers currently are working on concrete barriers on this stretch of highway. Statistics from the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority indicate that drivers are nearly twice as likely to die on Interstate 90 than on any other Illinois tollway between 2001-2003.

"This death was so preventable," said Craig Squillace, attorney at Clifford Law Offices handling the case. "The state has been on notice for years that the traffic in this area called for protective barriers. Timothy Rommel would be alive today had the state acted upon statistics that it had in its possession for some time. It must be held accountable for his unnecessary death."

The crash occurred about 3 p.m. Jan. 3, 2005, nearly a year ago. The driver of the SUV that crossed the median, Caritina Moncada-Jaime, 29, of Elgin, suffered a broken neck and ribs. Her 1994 Chevrolet Blazer was traveling east on I-90 when it crossed the grassy median about a half-mile west of the Powers Road bridge crashing into Rommel’s westbound 2002 Jeep Cherokee.