Attorney: Explosion that killed 3 may be linked to demo work
May 13, 2021
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NORTH UTICA, Ill. (AP) An explosion that killed three Chicago men last week near a state park in northern Illinois may have been connected to a nearby bridge demolition project, an attorney for their relatives said.
Brothers Inmer Rivera Tejada, 39, and Rafael Rivera Tejada, 36, and their nephew Guillermo Rivera Tejada, 26, were found dead May 6 near the Route 178 bridge over the Illinois River, which is close to the Starved Rock State Park in North Utica.
Explosives had been used in March to remove steel spans from the bridge, which has been replaced by a new one, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard, P.C.
A lawyer hired by the family of three men killed in an explosion near Starved Rock State Park raised questions Wednesday about their deaths, saying “there is no reason to believe” they were “knowingly using explosive devices.”
Attorney Tara R. Devine raised the possibility that the deaths of brothers Inmer Rivera Tejada, 39, and Rafael Rivera Tejada, 36, and their nephew Guillermo Rivera Tejada, 26, were connected to nearby demolition work for a bridge project.
The three men were found last Thursday about 100 yards west of the Route 178 bridge in Utica.
“We will be hiring some of the best experts in the country to assist us in our investigation and hopefully bring peace of mind to Inmer, Rafael and Guillermo’s family,” Devine said in a statement.
The family of two brothers and their nephew who died in an explosion along a bank of the Illinois River next to Starved Rock State Park on May 6 has hired a law firm to look into what caused the tragedy.
Family of three killed in Utica explosion hires Chicago firm to investigate incident
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CHICAGO (WEEK) The attorneys representing the families of the three killed in an explosion in Utica last week say they will be investigating the incident.
The May 6 explosion near the Ill. Route 178 bridge near Starved Rock State Park killed family members Inmer Riveera Tejada, 39, Rafael Rivera Tejada, 36, and Guillermo Rivera Tejada, 26. A thorough and exhaustive investigation needs to be done, family attorney Tara Devine said.
The families have retained the law firm Salvi, Schostok and Pritchard, P.C., based out of Chicago.
In a statement sent to media outlets Wednesday, the firm says they believe there is no reason the three had anything whatsoever to do with the handling of, or knowingly using explosive devices.
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