A 36-year-old woman landed in the hospital Monday evening after a silver sedan linked to a stolen-car report jumped a curb and hit her in the Loop, police say. The collision unfolded just before 7 p.m. near State and Randolph after the sedan clipped another vehicle, then barreled onto the sidewalk. The pedestrian suffered hip and back injuries and was taken to a hospital, where she was listed in fair condition. The driver took off.
What the police say
Chicago police told NBC Chicago the silver sedan was heading west on the first block of West Randolph around 6:57 p.m. when it struck the side of another vehicle, jumped the curb, and hit the woman on the sidewalk. The driver of the silver car fled, while the other driver stayed put. Officers said the 36-year-old pedestrian was taken to a nearby hospital and listed in fair condition.
Stolen car traced to Englewood
According to ABC7 Chicago, police said the silver sedan had been reported stolen Sunday from the 6000-block of South Green Street in Englewood. The other driver, described by police as a 30-year-old woman, was not injured and remained at the scene. Area Three detectives have opened a hit-and-run investigation, ABC7 reported.
Legal implications
Under Illinois law, leaving the scene of a crash that causes personal injury is not just bad form; it can be a felony. The state’s vehicle code, 625 ILCS 5/11-401, compiled at Justia, lays out tougher penalties for drivers who fail to stop or report an injury crash. A hit-and-run that results in injury can be charged as a felony and may bring prison time and a revoked license, while wrecks involving only property damage are typically treated as misdemeanors. Those statutory rules will likely shape how prosecutors proceed if the fleeing driver is found.
How to help
Area Three detectives are asking anyone with information or surveillance footage from the State and Randolph area to contact the Chicago Police Department, ABC7 Chicago reports. Downtown storefront cameras and traffic systems frequently capture key moments in cases like this, and investigators routinely review video to track vehicles and identify drivers. Police say they have not released a description of the person behind the wheel of the silver sedan.
Context
This is not the first time a stolen vehicle has turned downtown streets into a hazard. Stolen cars have been tied to several recent crashes in the Loop and on the South Side, sometimes ending in chaotic police pursuits. Fox 32 recently reported a case where suspects in a stolen vehicle hit a Chicago police squad car in the Loop before officers recovered weapons and placed three people in custody, underscoring the risks when hot cars end up in busy corridors. Investigators say tracking down the silver sedan and its driver is now a top priority.
