Driver Caught After Killing Bicyclist In Pilsen Hit-And-Run
UPDATED 08/23/11 11:27 a.m.
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Frederick Kobrick of Chicago was riding his bike to see friends early Tuesday morning, but he never made it.
As CBS 2's Susanna Song reports, a car hit Kobrick, 30, just before 1 a.m. on 18th Street near Carpenter Street, in the Pilsen neighborhood. He did not survive his injuries.
The motorist drove away after hitting Kobrick, who was taken to Stroger Hospital of Cook County and was pronounced dead, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office. He lived in the 1700 block of South Desplaines Street.
LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio's Mike Krauser reports
Podcast
Nearby police officers found a vehicle matching the description of the car and arrested the driver, police said. Alcohol is suspected as a factor in the crash.
The driver who allegedly hit and killed Kobrick was in police custody and being questioned as of 11 a.m. Tuesday.
There are bike lanes in both directions of traffic on 18th Street. Police have not yet said whether Kobrick was using the bike lane when he was hit.
But the crash, particularly given that the driver never stopped, bothered one cyclist so much that he stopped by the scene.
"I know a lot of bikers in the Pilsen community, you know, I mean everybody I know rides a bicycle, and that's how I get around. That's how they get around. Not always in the winter, but we try," he said, adding that Kobrick's death hit him "very deeply, because this is my mode of transportation for years; most of my life, I've ridden a bicycle.
Bicyclists who live in the Pilsen area stopped by the scene where Kobrick was hit and killed throughout the morning.
A ghost bike, one of the bicycles painted white to serve as a memorial for a bicyclist killed by the car, is expected to be placed at 18th Street for Kobrick.
The police Major Accidents Investigation Unit is investigating the crash, and charges are pending.
No one was available at Kobrick's home Tuesday morning.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
