Le Journal

A person was ejected from a vehicle and killed after a crash on the Eisenhower Expressway Sunday morning. According to Illinois State Police, the crash occurred in the westbound lanes of the roadway near Home Avenue in suburban Oak Park just before 3 a.m. Sunday. Police say troopers were called to the scene of a two-vehicle crash involving a Jeep and a Saturn sedan. The force of the impact caused an individual to be ejected from a vehicle, and they were pronounced dead at the scene, police said. An additional person was also injured and was taken to an area hospital, though there was no immediate update on their condition, police said. All westbound lanes of the roadway were closed for several hours, and reopened around 9:30 a.m., police said. No further information was immediately available on the crash.

It’s a big day in the city as the Chicago Bears prepare to take on the Los Angeles Rams at Soldier Field. The Bears, who are coming off a huge comeback win over the Green Bay Packers, are hoping to keep their season alive as they take on the NFL’s best offense in frigid weather on the lakefront, and they’ll have a tall task ahead of them. The Rams have the NFL’s leading passer in Matthew Stafford, who threw for 4,707 yards this season, but they also have the league’s top overall offense, averaging nearly 400 yards per game during the regular season. If the Bears, who are slight underdogs despite being the home team in the game, can pull off the victory on Sunday, what happens next? Here’s a breakdown. Who does the winner of this game face in the NFC Championship Game? The winner of Sunday’s game between the Rams and Bears will earn a trip to the Pacific Northwest, where they will face the high-flying Seattle Seahawks next Sunday. That game is set for 5:30 p.m. on January 25, and will air on Fox. The Seahawks thrashed the San Francisco 49ers 41-6 on Sunday in the Divisional Round, with Rashid Shaheed scoring a 95-yard kickoff return touchdown and Kenneth Walker racking up three rushing touchdowns in the blowout victory. If the Bears face the Seahawks, it would mark the third time in franchise history that the teams have met in the postseason. The Bears have won the previous two meetings in 2007 and 2011, with both games taking place at Soldier Field. If the Rams win, it would also mark the third time they’ve faced the Seahawks in the postseason, and they too have won both previous meetings, including in 2005 and in 2021. Both of those games were played in Seattle. The Bears have not played the Seahawks this season, while the Rams played them tough in both games they contested. Los Angeles won 21-19 at SoFi Stadium in November, then the Seahawks got revenge with a 38-37 win in a Thursday night thriller in Seattle. What about the AFC Championship Game? Next week’s AFC title game will be contested at 2 p.m. Central time, and will air on CBS. The game will be hosted by the Denver Broncos, who defeated the Buffalo Bills 33-30 in overtime on Saturday. Unfortunately for the Broncos they will be without star quarterback Bo Nix, who broke a bone in his ankle in the late stages of that game. They will be forced to turn to backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who hasn’t attempted a pass this season. The Broncos will welcome the winner of Sunday’s game between the Houston Texans and New England Patriots to the Mile High City next week. New England and Houston boast two of the league’s best defenses, so it will be a fascinating battle to see whether Drake Maye and CJ Stroud can overcome those obstacles to advance to the conference title game. When is Super Bowl LX? This year’s Super Bowl will take place on Sunday, February 8 at 5:30 p.m. Central time. The game will be contested at Santa Clara’s Levi’s Stadium, home

A driver lost control of his car and crashed on DuSable Lake Shore Drive early Sunday, killing a passenger and injuring the driver and three others, Chicago police said. The driver was traveling in the 2500 block of South DuSable Lake Drive near Soldier Field around 2:20 a.m. when he lost control of the car and crashed into a pole and then collided with a median, according to police. A woman suffered what were described as “traumatic injuries” from the crash and was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center, where she was later pronounced dead. The driver and three other adult passengers were also taken to the same hospital in good condition, according to police. Both lanes of traffic on DuSable Lake Shore Drive were closed following the crash but have since reopened. The CTA No. 6 Jackson Park Express and No. J14 Jeffery Jump buses were temporarily rerouted around the crash site near DuSable Lake Shore Drive and 27th Street, according to an alert from the transit authority. The buses have since resumed their regular routes.

Temperatures in Los Angeles have been in the 70s and 80s in recent days, but the Rams will be in for a rude shock when they face the Chicago Bears Sunday. The Rams traveled to Chicago on Saturday just in time for gusty winds and occasional snow showers, and things won’t be much better when they hit the gridiron at Soldier Field on Sunday night. According to the NBC 5 Storm Team, air temperatures at kickoff on the lakefront will likely be in the mid-to-upper teens, but with wind gusts exceeding 15-to-20 miles per hour, the wind chill is going to be downright frigid. According to forecast models, wind chills at gametime will be in the low-single digits or even below zero at times, making for a freezing cold evening of football. What’s more, the Chicago area could see a round of fluffy snow right around gametime, and even though significant accumulations are not expected, the snow could end up impacting the passing and kicking games for both teams. The snow may not last the entire game, but the blustery and cold conditions will, with wind chills hovering right around zero degrees throughout the contest, according to forecast models. The game may end up being one of the coldest in the history of both franchises, and the Rams will be looking to erase some negative history for dome-dwelling teams, as they’re just 2-8 in postseason games played when the temperature is at or below the freezing mark since 2000, according to Stathead. As for fans attending the game, the Bears have enacted “enhanced game day measures” to ensure fan safety at Soldier Field. “While winter weather is part of the authentic Chicago game day experience, fans are encouraged to dress in layers, stay alert to changing conditions and prioritize safety throughout Sunday’s matchup,” the team said in the advisory. Here’s a rundown of the safety measures and policies fans headed to the game should keep in mind: Warming centers are available at Loop Landing (behind Section 146), on the Service Level down the southwest tunnel near the Dr Pepper Patio, NW colonnade (situated on the tiled landing at the top of the stairs by Gate 31) and on the south side of the colonnades Battery-operated clothing is permitted but may require additional security screening Fans cannot bring in cardboard to sit or stand on Dehydration from cold weather is possible and fans are encouraged to drink water throughout the game Hot chocolate, coffee and cider is available for purchase throughout the stadium and from in-seat vendors Hand warmers are available for purchase at any Bears Pro Shop location in the stadium Blankets are permitted for Chicago Bears games at Soldier Field as long as they are carried in hand or in an approved clear bag that meets the stadium’s clear bag guidelines Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m., and the game will air on NBC Chicago.