Crime & Safety

Plainfield Man Injured in Fatal Road Rage Fight

A verbal altercation turned into a fist fight that put both men into the path of an oncoming car, police said.

A roadside fight triggered by road rage ended in a Joliet man being killed and a Plainfield man seriously injured when both were struck by a car Friday night, Joliet police said.

John M. Donahue, 63, was killed, and Aaron Wood, 25, is hospitalized at Provena St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet. Police reports said Wood suffered “severe injuries to his legs and pelvis” but is expected to survive, according to a story published by the Joliet Herald News.

“This appears to be a road rage incident between the drivers that escalated before coming to a sudden and tragic end,” Joliet Police Chief Mike Trafton was quoted as saying.

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Both men had been driving south down Essington Road at about 9:20 p.m. Friday, Donahue in a Jeep and Wood behind him in a Chevrolet S-10 pickup.

Donahue apparently thought Wood was following too closely and slammed on his brakes, according to a witness who talked to police. That prompted Wood to cut off Donahue just north of Caton Farm Road and force him off the road, the story said.

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After Wood reportedly struck the Jeep with his hands and feet, a verbal argument turned into a fist fight that put both men into oncoming traffic, Trafton told the paper.

“(Witnesses have) different versions as to who threw the first punch,” Trafton said.

“Because of the way the vehicles were stopped and their headlights were on, the driver of a northbound silver Nissan was unable to see either of them and struck them,” Trafton said.

The Nissan driver, a 56-year-old Rolling Meadows man, was not injured. He remained at the scene and was interviewed by police.

“The investigation is ongoing, but it does not appear he was at fault or will be ticketed,” Trafton said.

Donahue was pronounced dead at 11:41 p.m. Friday at Provena. An autopsy performed Saturday by the Will County Coroner’s office said Donahue died as the result of multiple injuries from being struck by an automobile, the Herald News reported.

The Will County state's attorney's office will review the case Monday.


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