A hit-and-run Chicago pedestrian accident has claimed the life of an 11-year-old girl, the Sun-Times reported.
The girl was dragged by the vehicle and pronounced dead at Comer Children’s Hospital less than an hour after the South Side crash, which occurred shortly before 7 p.m. on the 2500 block of E. 79th St. The intersection is heavily traveled by pedestrians.
Police report that a man was driving a 1993 Chevy van eastbound on 79th Street when he struck the girl while she was crossing the street at the corner of 79th and Colfax. The girl was dragged for several feet and suffered a head injury. Police say the driver initially stopped but apparently became fearful of a crowd that had gathered and drove away.
The van sustained damage to its front passenger side bumper area. The Major Accident Investigation Unit is investigating.
WGNTV reported that witnesses obtained the van’s license plate number and police were able to locat the driver when he returned to his home near 18th Street and Kedzie Avenue early Wednesday morning. The 67-year-old man was taken into custody and was being questioned by detectives.
The girl would have been a sixth-grader at Beasley Elementary School.
Our Chicago injury attorneys continue to report the dangers of pedestrian accidents, both here and on our sister site, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog. More than 150 people a year are killed in Illinois pedestrian accidents, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.