Bridgeport neighbors raise concerns about police driving and scooter traffic after fatal crash

A 39-year-old man riding a stand-up electric scooter was killed last Thursday after colliding with a marked Chicago police vehicle in Bridgeport, prompting nearby residents to raise concerns about driving habits and traffic safety in the neighborhood.

The victim, identified Monday as Bridgeport resident Hao Lin by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office, lived in the 3200 block of South Wallace Street. He was pronounced dead at 1:15 a.m. at Stroger Hospital , according to Chicago police.

According to Chicago police, officers were northbound on Princeton Avenue in a marked police vehicle while on patrol when their vehicle collided with the electric scooter operated by Lin.

Lin was treated at the scene by Chicago Fire Department personnel before being transported to Stroger, police said. The results of Lin's autopsy remain inconclusive, according to the medical examiner's office.

Both officers inside the police vehicle were transported to University of Illinois Hospital for treatment.

The circumstances surrounding the crash remain under investigation by CPD's Major Accidents Investigation Unit, so it's not yet known whether the officers or Lin are at fault.

Sira Rivera, a Bridgeport resident of more than five years who lives less than four blocks from the crash scene. He didn't see the crash but said he wasn't completely surprised it involved a police vehicle.

“The cops always run the stop signs in the neighborhood,” Rivera said. “They drive kind of crazy all the time.”

Other residents pointed to dangerous behavior among electric scooter and bicycle riders, saying they frequently ignore stop signs and traffic signals, creating risks for themselves and others.

Frank, a lifelong Bridgeport resident who declined to provide his last name, lives about a block from the crash scene. He said he’s noticed a pattern of scooter and bicycle riders disregarding traffic signals.

“A lot of scooter people just run right through the stop signs, the stoplights,” he said.

Concerns about scooter safety in Chicago come amid another fatal crash involving an electric scooter last week. The day after Lin's death, a 67-year-old man riding a stand-up electric scooter was killed in North Park after being struck by a speeding SUV.

Frank said riders who fail to stop at intersections put themselves at risk, particularly when vehicles approach at higher speeds.

He said scooter and bicycle riders should follow the same traffic rules as motorists.

“If everyone just sits there and abides by the laws of stopping at the stop signs or stoplights, I think it will go down a whole lot,” he added.