Four close friends who grew up together in the south suburbs  of Chicago died Saturday morning in Crest Hill when the car they were riding in flipped over in what police said appears to be a speed-related Chicago auto accident.

The men were in a black Lexus ES330 about 1:30 a.m. around the 2000 block of Weber Road when the car left the road, flipped over and hit a tree about 50 feet from the pavement, police said.
 
According to their family and friends, the four friends who grew up in Romeoville were typically upbeat and cheery. As news of the crash spread, some of the devastated relatives gathered to comfort each other.

Investigators are looking at possible equipment malfunction, but that also is standard procedure in any auto accident reconstruction, Illinois State Police said. The reconstruction can take two or three weeks to complete.

A vehicle accident reconstructionist is an individual with special training in determining the cause of and reason for a motor vehicle accident.  The training requires rigorous academic coursework in areas such as physics, engineering and computer modeling.
 
Following coursework, an individual must pass a test before (s)he is certified. Police officers are rarely trained as accident reconstructionists.  In cases where the cause of a car accident is disputed, an accident reconstructionist is essential in providing a jury with a scientific explanation of events.

Car accidents are all too frequent occurrences in modern urban life.  The consequences of an  auto accident can be devastating, resulting in loss of life/health, financial loss,  enormous medical bills, and dislocation of families.  Should you or a loved one be in a serious car accident, the Chicago auto accident attorneys at Lipkin & Apter know how to select expert witnesses to help present your case to the jury, and achieve beneficial results.