Shock Ripples Through Northfield After Fatal Crash

Trauma has shaken Northfield over the past week, and the tone at the village board meeting Tuesday was somber but appreciative of the community's emergency personnel.

Two people were , and village leaders expressed their regret about the weekend's tragedy.

"The last couple of weeks have been very significant for us," said Village President Fred Gougler. "This is the first fatal accident I can remember on that stretch of the road. I've lived here 30 years and I've never seen anything like it. It's tragic." 

Northfield Police Chief William Lustig said he's waiting on toxicology reports for both drivers before he can determine conclusively what may have caused the accident. Those results, however, will take at about 12 weeks to hit Lustig's desk.

"I'm not going to get my answers as quickly as I want them," Lustig said. "That's going to be an important factor in determining [if anything] was in the drivers' systems."

When Lustig arrived on the scene, one of the cars was so crumpled that the top had to be cut off in order to remove the driver. Although police are still investigating the causes and sequence of events, Lustig said he was impressed with the responses and professionalism of his officers as well as the firefighters and paramedics who responded to the accident. 

"The team you've allowed us to maintain for our residents has been quite an incredible system," he told the board. "Watching our people at work is something that's hard for me to describe how lucky we are to live in a village like this."

At the meeting, the board did away with regulations in the village code that would have allowed large billboards. 

"They are contrary to our goal of creating an aesthetically pleasing community," said Anne Kane, director of community development.

Finance Director Steve Noble reported that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will assist the village with "extraordinary expenses associated with the blizzard in February."

"We're not sure when the check's in the mail," Noble said, "but we'll be expecting about $22,000."

Noble also presented the upcoming year's budget, which the board adopted.

"You'll see in the budget that the general fund is balanced with a small surplus," Noble said. 

Gougler was especially pleased with the budgeting process.

"We kept within the tax cap, we kept expenses down, and we're starting to see a little bit of growth within our sales tax," he said. "This is a very interactive process, the budget. It was fun to go through it and see the work we did last year play out this year."

Upcoming events:

• April 28: North Shore Ballroom Dance Studio grand opening – 310 S. Happ Road.
• April 29: Arbor Day Festivities – 10:30 a.m. to Noon – Clarkson Park 
• May 2: Plan & Zoning Commission meeting – 7:00 p.m. – CANCELED 
• May 3: Zoning Board of Appeals meeting – 7:00 p.m. – CANCELED 
• May 9: Architectural Commission meeting – 7:00 p.m. – CANCELLED 
• May 16l IDOT CAG meeting #10 (Public Presentation) – 5:00 p.m. – New Trier West 
• May 17: Committee of the Whole meeting – 5:30 p.m. 
• May 17: Village Board meeting – 7:00 p.m.