Model’s family sues city over death in Chicago River

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Irma Sabanovic

Updated: July 3, 2011 1:32PM

The family of a local model who died after her car plunged into the North Branch of the Chicago River has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city, claiming warning signs and better barricades may have prevented the accident.

Irma Sabanovic, a model and college student, was found dead Sunday in her Ford Focus, which had been submerged in the Chicago River near the 1100 block of West Blackhawk — the street she was believed to be driving on when her car left the road and went in to the murky river.

The last time anyone saw her was May 12, as she was heading to a nightclub at West North and North Elston avenues, according to Chicago police. About 2 a.m. that morning she sent a text message to a friend saying just that: She was driving near Erie and Milwaukee and was lost, according to police.

Anguished family members of the 25-year-old Bosnian immigrant, who was living in West Rogers Park, are left to fret over her last minutes, said lawyer Ian R. Alexander.

“Her car went in the river about 2 in the morning. I don’t know if she was unconscious when she was in the water — we just don’t know what happened,” Alexander said, noting the family wonders whether Sabanovic sat in her car, awaiting death.

“So you can’t open the door, the car is filling up with water — this poor girl, the car is filling with water, and she’s thinking she’s going to suffer the worst death possible,” Alexander said.

It was a Chicago Police Marine Unit sonar that picked up a signal that an object was in the water off Blackhawk and Elston, not far from the club.

Cranes pulled the Ford Focus out of the water on Sunday, near North Elston Avenue and West Blackhawk Street.

Now the family is pointing the finger at the city of Chicago. According to the lawsuit, Sabanovic was driving westbound in the 1100 block of Blackhawk with no signal that she was heading toward river.

“The road literally ends, and after that it drops off into the river. It’s an optical illusion because it looks like you could [continue] driving down the road, and think it extends across the river. It doesn’t,” Alexander said.

“The city admitted through their spokesman — their Department of Transportation spokesman told [reporters] — that they had put a curb at the end of Blackhawk Street eight to nine inches high making it double the size of a regular curb and that was their attempt to make a barricade between the roadway and the water. That’s just B.S. If you look at any other area, such as Goose Island, they put up signs and concrete barriers.”

The family is seeking at least $50,000 in damages.

In a statement, the city denied the claim that the street was “inherently dangerous. It was well-lit; there was a ‘no outlet’ sign prominently displayed at the entrance to the street; and there was an 8-inch curb at the end of the street, which is 4 times higher than the average city curb.’’