A man who was underground in a sewer was critically injured when an SUV ran into him as he emerged from the hole Wednesday afternoon on the Southwest Side.
It was unclear why the 57-year-old man, who police said is the owner of the BP at 6702 S. Pulaski Rd., was in the sewer.
The situation unfolded about 1:40 p.m. when a 26-year-old woman behind the wheel of a 2014 Jeep Cherokee had just gotten gas. As she pulled away from pump 6, she ran over the man, according to a police report.
The Chicago woman told police she did not see him and said there were no warning signs or barricades near the open sewer, according to the report.
Paramedics took the Palos Hills man to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, said Chicago Fire Department spokesperson Larry Langford. The man was listed in critical condition and suffered fractures to his neck, clavicle, pelvis and arm, police said.
Responding officers and firefighters confirmed there were no posted signs at the scene and firefighters closed the open sewer with a manhole cover before police arrived, the report said.
The man’s son and daughter, who could not be reached immediately, were working inside the gas station at the time but did not witness the incident, according to the report.
Police said no citations have been issued, and there was no indication the driver, who did not respond to messages left for comment, was impaired.
The department’s Major Accident Investigation Unit is continuing to investigate.