A 41-year-old man is in critical condition after being struck by a car early Saturday in Chicago's West Ridge neighborhood, in a violent pre-dawn crash on the 2400 block of West Devon Avenue on the far North Side. Police said a 24-year-old driver was taken into custody at the scene and transported to a hospital, where he was listed in good condition.
According to WGN-TV, officers arrived just after 3 a.m. to find the victim lying in the roadway. Investigators believe he had been walking when he was hit by an eastbound green sedan. Detectives detained the driver as they worked the scene and tried to piece together what led up to the collision.
Police: Scene and response
Chicago police said first responders rushed both the pedestrian and the driver to area hospitals. Authorities have not yet released information on possible impairment or any other contributing factors, and no charges had been announced as of early Saturday. Officers and investigators processed the scene for several hours, and traffic in the area was temporarily disrupted while evidence was collected.
Where this fits in Chicago's safety efforts
The crash comes as the city continues to push its Vision Zero initiative, which focuses on reducing traffic deaths and serious injuries. The Chicago Department of Transportation maintains a public traffic fatality dataset that tracks deadly crashes citywide, and reporting from Streetsblog Chicago has pointed to recent declines, even as safety advocates keep pressing for stronger speed control measures. For raw data, see the Vision Zero dataset from the City of Chicago.
What’s next
Area North detectives are leading the investigation, and police said charges were pending as evidence is reviewed by prosecutors. Authorities said they plan to release additional details as the case moves forward and more information becomes available.
