A tragic morning unfolded in Melrose Park on Tuesday when a cyclist in his 40s was struck and killed in a hit-and-run crash. The incident occurred near Gottlieb Hospital at the intersection of 7th and North Avenue, as per the details released by local police. The man was reportedly biking westbound early in the day when he was hit by a vehicle that fled the scene without stopping.
After being fatally struck, the victim was dragged approximately 400 feet, an act that left him lying dead near the hospital, according to WLS. The Melrose Park Police have been left with few leads, as no surveillance cameras in the vicinity captured the collision or the vehicle involved. The search for the suspect is ramping up, with authorities urging anyone who may have information to step forward.
Inquiries into the man's identity continue as he remains unnamed, and officials are combing through the debris scattered across multiple locations near the crash site. Meanwhile, local cyclists like Maciej Wojtasik, expressed concerns to NBC Chicago, lamenting the dangers present on North Avenue, a roadway fraught with driveways and intersections that pose hazards to those on two wheels.
"Going west I would not use specifically because of all the different hazards that it creates," Wojtasik told NBC Chicago, a route he avoids due to its potential dangers. His concerns for safety are echoed in the wake of the crash, implicating recklessness on the part of drivers who "completely ignoring the stop signs, ignoring the stop lights, not looking out for cyclists." The Village of Melrose Park spokesperson, Andrew Mack, responded to the grisly scene by stating, "Nobody deserves to die on the streets like that."
The authorities are urging the public to contact the Melrose Park Police at 708-344-8409 with any information related to this crash. As for now, the community is left grappling with the implications of a roadway system that has claimed yet another life — a stark reminder of the imperatives of road safety and the consequences of its neglect.
