Cook County sheriff's detectives are trying to track down a driver they say slammed into a woman on a quiet Maine Township block, then took off before officers could get there. The hit-and-run happened Monday on the 9000 block of West Oaks Avenue in unincorporated Maine Township and left the victim seriously injured, according to investigators.
Detectives on Friday released photos of a man they identified as 33-year-old Rovell Young, along with images of a white Hyundai Elantra with Illinois plate FZ25613. The driver is accused of fleeing the scene before law enforcement arrived, and anyone with tips was urged to call detectives at the number listed in the post, according to the Cook County Sheriff's Office.
The call for help comes as police across the Chicago area deal with a run of recent hit-and-runs, some leaving pedestrians and bicyclists in critical condition. In multiple cases, officers have released photos of suspected vehicles and turned to the public for help unmasking the drivers. CBS Chicago reported on the recent wave of hit-and-run incidents.
Legal consequences
Under Illinois law, drivers who fail to stop after an injury crash can face felony charges. The Illinois Vehicle Code requires anyone involved in a crash that causes personal injury to stay at the scene and provide reasonable assistance, and walking away from that responsibility can be prosecuted as a felony offense. For details, see the Illinois Vehicle Code.
How to help detectives
Sheriff's detectives are asking anyone with information or video of the crash to call their tip line at 708-865-4896. For general contact numbers or to file a non-emergency report in unincorporated Cook County, the department lists its headquarters at 1401 S. Maybrook Drive, with a main line at 708-865-4700. Tips can also be submitted through the online channels listed by the agency, and detectives say holding on to any relevant footage can be crucial for their investigation, according to the Cook County Sheriff's Office.
