Contractor dead after being injured on site of NASCAR Chicago Street Race
CHICAGO - A man is dead after being injured on site of the NASCAR Chicago Street Race Friday.
At about 11:28 a.m., a 53-year-old man was in the 500 block of South Columbus Drive near Buckingham Fountain when he suffered an injury, Chicago police said.
He was transported to Northwestern Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
NASCAR released the following statement:
"On Friday afternoon, a contractor suffered a fatal medical emergency. We are coordinating with local authorities on this tragic incident. We share our condolences to the family and their loved ones."
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office identified that man as Duane Tabinski, of Tennessee.
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According to the Chicago Street Race map provided by NASCAR, the man was killed in the area of where the ‘Fan Plaza’ will be located this weekend.
A witness told police he was carrying wood to help set up the event when he heard Tabinski, of Hermitage, Tennessee, groan, according to a police report. When the witness checked on Tabinski, he spotted him "slumped over," and was about to render aid when another worker stopped him because Tabinski was in a "padlock" area, with a high voltage of electricity circulating.
After the electricity was "diffused," paramedics were able to treat him and take him by ambulance to the hospital.
Tabinski was hired by Nascar to set up audio for the pre-race celebrations, according to the report.
An autopsy was scheduled for later Saturday, officials said.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.