Lockport man charged with fleeing scene of crash near 9th Street bridge

A motorcycle operator was seriously injured in a two-vehicle crash that led to the shutdown of the Ninth Street bridge in Lockport for a few hours Wednesday morning.

A 43-year-old male operator of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle was traveling west on Ninth Street at Canal Street about 6 a.m. when a 2001 Dodge Ram van failed to yield and pulled into the path of the motorcycle, Lockport Deputy Police Chief Ron Huff said.

“The motorcycle then struck the side of the van,” Huff said.

After the collision, the van fled the scene while Lockport police were en route, according to a news release from the Lockport Police Department. Officers were able to find and stop the van near State and 18th streets, according to the release.

The Dodge van was driven by a 61-year-old man identified as James E. Lawler of Lockport. He was not injured in the crash.

Lawler has been charged with failure to yield at an intersection and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in personal injury.

He is scheduled to appear Oct. 14 at the Will County Courthouse for arraignment.

The motorcycle operator was found lying in the road when police arrived at the scene. Lockport Township Fire Protection District paramedics arrived to administer emergency medical aid and took the man to Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox.

Huff said the motorcyclist remains in an intensive care unit to receive treatment for “serious injuries.”

The crash remains under investigation by the Lockport Police Crash Reconstruction Team. At this point, it is not believed that drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash.

An alert went out from Lockport police at 6:35 a.m. stating that the Ninth Street bridge would be closed for “an extended period of time,” and police urged motorists to avoid the area and use alternate routes during the morning commute.

The bridge was reopened before 10:30 a.m.