A 21-year-old woman was killed after she was hit by a speeding car in Bridgeport on Friday night. The driver of the car did not stop after the crash and fled the scene and is currently being sought by police.
The crash happened as the woman walked across Morgan Street near the intersection with 32nd Street in Bridgeport. While she was in the street, a dark colored speeding car who was southbound on Morgan hit the victim and threw her in the air. Emergency responders arrived but the woman did not respond and died of her injuries while still at the scene of the collision.
The victim was a well-known barista at a coffee shop just a block away from the crash and was known as a promising local artist. Her interests sought her to pursue her education at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, from which she graduated just last month with a specialization in graphic design.
Traffic on southbound Morgan Street has a stop sign at the intersection with 32nd Street, requiring every vehicle that travels there to yield the right-of-way. There is a marked pedestrian crosswalk on the north side of the intersection as well and pedestrians cross there daily. It is not yet clear whether the driver ran the stop sign or whether the victim was within the crosswalk at the time of impact or whether what citations, if any, will be found by the driver if police are able to locate him.
Anyone with information about this accident should immediately contact the Chicago Police Department.
Regardless of who is at fault, if you are involved in an accident in Illinois, the law requires you to stay at the scene until you have spoken to a police officer and the police officer has obtained your basic information. This law has many purposes, one of which is to have the police and ambulances called if a victim is unable to do so. When a driver flees the scene and leaves a victim unconscious, the victim cannot call an ambulance or otherwise get help, delaying any treatment and significantly increasing the changes that the injuries will become permanent or even turn fatal, as they did in this case.
What many people do not realize is that even if you are injured by a hit-and-run driver, you may still be able to make a financial recovery for your damages. Regardless of whether the driver is found or not, there are protections in the law that may allow a victim to obtain relief.
If you have been injured in an accident, call the Chicago hit-and-run injury lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. at (312) 924-7575 today. We provide a free telephone consultation with no obligation so there is no risk for you to call us. At Abels & Annes, P.C., you will get to speak directly with a licensed attorney who is skilled in your type of accident and we are standing by 24 hours a day to take your call.
Prior Blog Entries:
Chicago Bike Week Hits the City, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, published June 14, 2013.
Berwyn Man Killed in Work Accident, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, published June 13, 2013.
Resources:
Bridgeport hit-run claims life of an aspiring graphic artist, 21, by Tina Sfondeles, Chicago Sun-Times, published June 15, 2013.