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Denise Blidy

Age : 66

Gender : Female

Race : White

Date : 09/05/2022

Location : Central Avenue and 77th Street

City : Burbank

County : Cook

State : Illinois

Agency : Burbank Police Department

Officer(s) :Kerry Sullivan

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Bicyclist killed by police vehicle

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 09/05/2022, 66-year-old Denise “Dee” Blidy was killed after being struck by a Burbank Police Department vehicle while riding her bicycle at Central Avenue and 77th Street in Burbank, Illinois. The collision occurred at approximately 10:30 a.m. Blidy was transported to Advocate Christ Medical Center, where she died from her injuries at approximately 9:10 p.m. that evening.
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Blidy was a retired licensed practical nurse and longtime Burbank resident who had also coached a local high-school swim team. Contemporary reporting did not identify the officer driving the police vehicle or provide a detailed account of how the collision occurred.
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A witness who came outside after hearing the collision told CBS Chicago that he saw Blidy on the ground and initially believed the officer was assisting her before realizing that the officer's vehicle had been involved. The witness also said he had previously complained to Burbank police about officers driving through the intersection's stop sign without emergency lights, although investigators had not established whether that occurred in Blidy's collision.
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The Illinois State Police Public Integrity Unit investigated the fatal collision. Burbank police placed the involved officer on administrative duty while the case was reviewed.
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Subsequent civil litigation identifies the officer as Kerry Sullivan. In September 2023, Blidy's estate filed a motor-vehicle wrongful-death action in Cook County Circuit Court naming the City of Burbank, Burbank Police Department and Officer Kerry Sullivan as defendants. Court records show the case was dismissed by stipulation or agreement on November 7, 2024.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/bicyclist-dead-after-accident-involving-police-car-in-burbank/
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/bicyclist-dies-after-accident-with-police-car-in-burbank
https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2022/9/7/23340671/bicyclist-dies-after-accident-with-police-vehicle-in-burbank
https://abc7chicago.com/post/burbank-police-illinois-il-crash/12207836/
https://patch.com/illinois/oaklawn/bicyclist-identified-fatal-crash-burbank-police-vehicle
https://trellis.law/case/17031/2023-l-008831/michael-blidy-estate-denise-a-blidy-deceased-vs-city-burbank-burbank-police-department-kerry-sullivan