A 36-year-old man was killed late Thursday after a beige sedan struck him near West 87th Street and South Ashland Avenue in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood, then kept going. The driver fled eastbound on 87th Street, and the man was later pronounced dead at Christ Hospital.
Crash details
Police said the crash happened just after 11 p.m. Thursday, when the man, who was standing outside, was hit by the beige sedan. He was taken in critical condition to Christ Hospital and later pronounced dead. His identity has not yet been released. The driver continued east on 87th Street, and Major Accident detectives with the Chicago Police Department are investigating, as reported by ABC7 Chicago.
Neighborhood context
The intersection around 87th and Ashland is a busy stretch of Auburn Gresham, and it has already seen its share of violence and crashes this year. Neighbors say video footage and tips are often what move cases forward when suspects take off. Local reporting has highlighted recent shootings and collisions that have kept Area Two detectives working at a steady clip, including a late-night car shootout that left a 44-year-old man dead.
Citywide hit-and-run problem
This was the second deadly hit-and-run in Chicago this week. ABC7 Chicago also reported a separate fatal crash near 68th Street and Pulaski Road. Beyond these individual tragedies, transportation reporters have noted that pedestrian deaths and hit-and-run incidents remain a stubborn problem on the city’s streets. Streetsblog Chicago maintains a fatality tracker that documents these ongoing trends.
Investigation and legal context
Investigators say they are canvassing the block for witnesses and surveillance video to piece together exactly what happened. Under Illinois law (625 ILCS 5/11-401), drivers involved in crashes that cause injury or death must stop and provide aid, and failing to do so can lead to felony charges, per the Illinois Vehicle Code, according to Justia. Detectives have not released any suspect description or major leads as of publication.
How to help
Anyone who saw the crash, or who has security or dashcam video from the area around 87th and Ashland around 11 p.m. Thursday, is urged to contact Chicago police. Tips can be sent through the department’s online tip portal or by calling the local police district so investigators can follow up.
