A Beach Park man is facing felony charges after Illinois State Police say he hit a pedestrian on the Edens Expressway in Skokie early Sunday, then took off. The pedestrian had gotten out of a vehicle before being struck and was rushed to a nearby hospital with serious, life-threatening injuries. Investigators say they tracked down a suspect within a day.
Crash On The Edens Expressway
State police say troopers were called to multiple crashes on Interstate 94 near Church Street in Skokie around 4:47 a.m. on Feb. 1. In one of those incidents, a person who had exited a vehicle was hit and critically injured, according to FOX 32 Chicago.
Coverage elsewhere described a chaotic scene on the northbound Edens, with a tangle of damaged cars and emergency crews shutting down lanes for the investigation. That reporting put the crash just before 5 a.m. near Golf and Dempster and said at least six vehicles were involved, underscoring how the wreck stretched across a section of the expressway, per NBC Chicago.
Arrest And Charges
After piecing together what happened, state police say they identified the driver as 30-year-old Damian Lopez of Beach Park and arrested him on Feb. 2. Lopez was charged with leaving the scene of a personal injury crash, a Class 4 felony, and failure to report a personal injury crash, a Class 2 felony. He was being held at Cook County Jail while awaiting his first court appearance, according to FOX 32 Chicago.
Legal Consequences
In Illinois, a Class 2 felony carries a prison term of 3 to 7 years, while a Class 4 felony carries 1 to 3 years. Judges can also levy fines, order restitution and consider extended terms in more serious cases. Those ranges and rules are set out in the state’s sentencing code, the Illinois Compiled Statutes.
Authorities have not released the pedestrian’s name or provided an update on the person’s condition, and the investigation remains active. Prosecutors will decide whether to file any additional charges as the case moves toward its initial court hearing.
