Times Staff Report

Monday's chain reaction accident on 130th Street sent eight people to local hospitals, and police say they cited a 34-year-old Riverdale woman for driving a moving vehicle with a flat tire.

The accident at 3:40 p.m. involved two semi trucks, three pickup trucks and three cars, Chicago Police Department News Affairs Officer Tom Polick said.

A Ford mini-van, traveling eastbound on 130th in the left lane with a flat tire, was impeding the flow of traffic, Polick said. A Kenworth semi truck, also traveling eastbound, came over the crest of a hill, he said.

In an attempt to avoid the mini-van, the semi jumped the median and struck a Ford F-150 pickup truck traveling westbound. A second Ford pickup also traveling westbound was struck.

"It caused a chain reaction crash," Polick said.

Sherry Smith, 34, of Riverdale, was cited for driving a moving vehicle in an unsafe condition, Polick said.

Chicago police responded to the accident near 1400 E. 130th St. in Chicago -- near the Bishop Ford Freeway overpass.

The Chicago Fire Department sent five ambulances, the department's assistant director of media affairs Eve Rodriguez said.

Four people were transported to local hospitals in critical condition, Rodriguez said. Two went to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago and two went to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital in Chicago, she said.

Four people were transported in serious but stable condition, Rodriguez said. Two were transported to St. Margaret Mercy Healthcare Center in Hammond, and two went to St. Francis Hospital in Blue Island, she said.

It took fire crews more than two hours to clean up, Rodriguez said.