An 18-year-old Tinley Park woman was exiting a bicycle path shortly after 6:30 p.m. Thursday when she was hit by a vehicle being driven west on 159th Street near Ridgeland Avenue, according to Oak Forest police.
The woman was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in critical condition, according to Chrissy Maher, Oak Forest communications director.
The vehicle was driven by a 76-year-old man from Tinley Park, police said. The driver was left uninjured from the collision, said Maher.
The crash remains under investigation by the South Suburban Major Accident Reconstruction Team.
Oak Forest officials encouraged people with information on the crash to contact the Oak Forest Police Department at 708-687-1376.
Fatal bicycle crashes in recent years have heightened concerns among bike safety advocates about the need for improved bicycle safety infrastructure in the south and southwest suburban region.
Tinley Park teenager Zaineddin “Zain” Jaber was killed in a motor vehicle crash while riding his bike in 2022.
Steven Bender, a 73-year-old resident of Tinley Park, was killed in a motor vehicle crash while riding his bike in 2024.
As of Friday, five cyclists have been killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2026, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation’s fatal crash data. In 2024, 37 cyclists were killed in motor vehicle crashes, according to IDOT data.
Bicycle safety advocates have long complained that the Cook County Highway Department and the Illinois Department of Transportation did not prioritize or include accommodations for pedestrians and cyclists when building roads around the county.
Neil Holdway, founder of the website suburban Chicago bicycling, said large, busy roads like 159th Street make it hard to create safe bicycling accommodations in the suburbs, and he hears concerns about these intersections from other bikers.
Even on his own bike rides along the Tinley Creek Trail System, he said he feels unsafe crossing 159th Street and 143rd Street, especially due to the high truck traffic on the streets.
He said there are several nearby streets he would never “dare” to ride his bike on due to the lack of shoulders and sidewalk that force people to bike or walk directly on busy, multiple-lane streets.
“Invariably, one of the features of the suburbs is the larger streets required for people to get around, frankly with cars,” Holdway said. “A lot of people are trying to make it better, but it’s difficult with just the sheer number of large streets to cross.”
He said even confusion between the driver and biker can result in a crash at an intersection, as both are making quick decisions while cars are speeding, turning and sometimes missing stop signs.
He said street safety could be improved by refuge islands in the crosswalks, better markings on the road, lighted beacons or even traffic lights.
“It’s really about everyone slowing down just a little bit, both drivers and bicyclists,” he said.
awright@chicagotribune.com
