For the first time this summer, Bill Sassi hopped on his bicycle and headed out for a ride. As he approached 55th Street and Fairview Avenue in Downers Grove, the last thing he expected was to see a collision resulting in a three-car pileup.

“I saw the pickup truck go flying in the air and land on top of the green car,” the Westmont resident said. “(The first thing I thought was) someone got killed. I thought for sure. I was scared.”

Police said at 4 p.m. Friday, four cars were involved in a rear-end collision while traveling west on 55th Street.

Downers Grove Police Sgt. Dave Bormann said Maureen Foley, 55, of Woodridge, was ticketed with failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.

Bormann said there were three cars in front of Foley that were either stopped or slowing down because the light was red.

“Two cars were stopped, and one (car) was slowing, and (the impact) forced that car into the other cars,” Bormann said.

One person was taken to Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital with minor injuries, Bormann said.

When emergency crews arrived on the scene, a green sedan was sandwiched between Foley’s car and a pickup truck.

Marsha Giesler, spokeswoman for the Fire Department, said a woman in the green sedan had to be cut out by firefighters.

Two tow trucks were needed to separate the cars from each other.

The first car in line at the intersection, the fourth vehicle involved, came to a stop about 20 feet in front of the pickup truck.

Police said 55th Street between Fairview and Florence avenues was closed for a couple of hours Friday.