Police searching for driver who hit, killed woman in Lawndale
CHICAGO (CBS)-- Chicago police are looking for the driver who hit and killed a woman in Lawndale Monday night.
Police said around 8:30 p.m., the woman was crossing the street near Pulaski Road and Arthington Street when the driver of a tan SUV hit her.
Surveillance video of the crash shows 42-year-old Monica Eason crossing the street, nearly making it to the other side of the street, before pausing and turning around, when she steps into the path of an oncoming SUV.
Officers were at the scene within minutes. Eason was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Her shoes were left in the middle of the intersection after she was hit.
Eason's family is asking for the public's help to find the person who was driving the SUV.
"She's a wonderful person," said Michael Jackson, Eason's brother. "I don't even know what to say. We just want justice. That's it."
Jackson, who is in town from Texas for the Thanksgiving holiday he planned on celebrating with his sister, described her death as a senseless one that didn't have to happen. He added the family is still trying to process the tragedy.
Residents from the Lawndale community were just as shocked to hear about the accident. They said Eason often visited a food pantry just steps away from where the was hit.
"Every time we have an event here, she's here," said Nathan Jackson, a Lawndale resident. "She would've been here right now if she didn't lose her life."
Police said the driver who struck her left the scene. Police have released surveillance images of the tan four-door SUV they are looking for. It's believed to be a 1995 to 2000 Jeep.
If you recognize the vehicle, or have any other information about the crash, please call the Major Accident Investigation Unit at 312-745-4521.