2 dead, 16 injured after stolen car causes horrific pile-up in Chicago

Two people are dead and 16 others, including children, injured after a speeding stolen car driving the wrong direction on a Chicago street caused a horrific and fiery pile-up on Wednesday night, police said.

The accident happened when the Dodge Charger collided with seven different vehicles around 5 p.m. while attempting to speed through an intersection in Chicago’s Chatham neighborhood, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The Dodge, which had been reported stolen earlier in the day, caught fire in the middle of the intersection, killing the two people inside.

Seven children and nine adults had to be hospitalized as a result of the accident

The condition of the injured was fair to good as of Thursday morning, authorities said.

At least 10 ambulances were called to help the injured.

In addition to the burned-out Dodge, the carnage at the scene included a car that had completely overturned and several other vehicles stacked on top of each other.

“It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before, and I’ve seen a lot of accidents,” said Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Merritt.

The two people in the stolen Dodge have not yet been identified.

The Dodge is taken to the Cook County Coroner’s Office for the removal of the two individuals’ remains.

Police officers said they discovered a “long rifle firearm” in the smoldering wreckage.

The Chicago Police Department’s Major Accident Division is still investigating the fatal accident.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the scene of the accident left her with “heart disease.”

“That’s something we can control: Take your foot off the gas,” Lightfoot said at a news conference after the crash.

“That’s something we need to address citywide, and in the meantime, if people don’t have respect for themselves or others … we’re going to have more tragedies.”