[il-talk] Article from forest park review

[David Meyer]

The following was taken from this weeks issue of the Forest Park Review.


 
home : news : news  February 01, 2012  

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1/31/2012 10:00:00 PM  Email this article . Print this article  
Man killed by Pace bus not visually impaired
Resident described as 'happy go lucky' by friends

By Jean Lotus
Editor





Edward Taube, 64, the Forest Park resident who was killed by a Pace bus  at
Harlem and Madison last Thursday at 12:15 p.m. had no significant  vision
problems, according to Irene Niemet, a case worker with Aspire  Services in
Hillside, who worked as Taube's case worker and knew him for  almost 15
years. 


"He wore glasses, but he had no significant impairment," she said. 


Taube was most likely returning on foot to his home from Walgreens at Oak
Park Avenue and Madison Street, said Niemet. He was struck by a No. 318  bus
traveling eastbound on Madison St. and turning north onto Harlem.  Taube
made contact with the side rear of the bus, was knocked down and  run over
by its rear wheels, said Pace spokesman Patrick Wilmot. Taube  was taken to
Loyola Hospital after emergency services personnel found him  about eight
feet north of the crosswalk with severe leg trauma and a  significant loss
of blood. Taube was taken to Loyola because nearby Rush  Oak Park Hospital
does not have a trauma center in the emergency room. He  was pronounced dead
at 12:52 p.m., according to the Cook County Medical  Examiner's office.


The Pace bus driver is a 19-year veteran and a past recipient of safety
awards, said Wilmot. In addition to an investigation done by Oak Park
police, Wilmot said Pace has safety personnel that will conduct their own
investigation of the incident.


Edward Taube was employed for 25 years as a maintenance worker by the  State
of Illinois at the John J. Madden Hospital in Maywood, according to  Niemet.
He had no next-of-kin, she knew of she said. "Ed lived in Forest  Park since
the early 90s," she said. Taube had been receiving services  from Aspire,
which helps developmentally disabled adults, since 1980, she  said. Aspire
will make funeral arrangements, which are not yet available. 


She described Taube as "Mr. Joker. Very pleasant and constantly trying to
make people laugh. It was an unfortunate accident and I still don't
understand how it happened." She was to meet with police Tuesday after
press time to assist in the investigation, she said.


Neighbor Odessa Wynn lives in Taube's apartment building in the 300 block
of Desplaines. She said Taube's vision was fine. "I don't know where
they're getting that crap from," she said, regarding media reports that
Taube was visually impaired. "He was always able to see."


Wynn said Taube was recovering from hernia surgery the week before. "It  was
so shocking for me." She enjoyed cooking for Taube, who lived alone  with
his cat. Residents of the building are close, she added, and often  share
holiday dinners together. "There are [people here] who don't have  family
left. We got together for homemade turkey on Thanksgiving and I  made banana
pudding." 


Wynn said she has questions about details of the accident. "How did he  end
up eight feet [from the crosswalk]? That, in itself, should tell you
something. He had the right of way. He was a pedestrian." 


"He was my good friend," she added. "He was not suicidal. He was a happy,
go-lucky guy."


Oak Park Police Cmdr. LaDon Reynolds said the investigation is still
continuing.


Devin Rose contributed to this article.