Police are questioning a suspect in a fatal hit-and-run Chicago pedestrian accident that occurred shortly before midnight Friday, according to the Southtown Star.
A 38-year-old Indiana woman was struck while crossing 95th Street after leaving a bar to buy cigarettes at a nearby gas station. Witnesses told police she was dragged 50 or 60 feet down 95th Street by a Suburban that then turned onto Ridgeland Road, the Sun-Times reported.
She was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where she was pronounced dead at 12:58 a.m., according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Chicago Ridge police say they have released a man without charges after questioning. Police say the man was a relative of the owner of a black Chevrolet Suburban that was found in Oak Lawn, about eight blocks from the scene of the accident.
The vehicle was found with front-end damage and remains in police custody, where it is undergoing forensic analysis. At least one witness reported the SUV involved in the accident was dark blue, not black.
Illinois State Police are assisting the Chicago Ridge police with the investigation.
As we reported earlier this month on our Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, more than 150 people are killed each year in Illinois pedestrian accidents, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Lawmakers are considering several new laws aimed at improving safety and reducing the number of serious and fatal pedestrian and bicycle accidents in Chicago and throughout Illinois.