Driver charged months after 83-year-old man on bicycle is struck and killed in Hoffman Estates
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. (CBS) -- A family waited months with no arrests from police, but at last this past weekend, police said a driver was charged after 83-year-old Numa Gilberto Munoz was hit and killed on his bicycle in Hoffman Estates.
Thomas W. Deters, 49, was charged Saturday with aggravated driving under the influence causing injury or death in the crash that killed Munoz on June 16 of last year.
"As I was driving through Golf Road, and I noted that right there at Golf and 59, the route was blocked already. You know, there were police cars and everything," said Victoria Munoz-Levandowski, the victim's daughter. "So right there, I just burst in tears."
Munoz-Levandowski didn't know for sure – but in her heart, she knew her father was the one lying on the ground back on the morning of June 16. Her 83-year-old dad was always on his bike – riding around the nearby forest preserve. He also often driving to his daughter's house.
"He would not push the doorbell – he would just go around and stand there, you know, at this back door – the sliding door," Munoz-Levandowski said. "There are times when I'm sitting here and I'm just kind of looking through the door."
Munoz-Levandowski's two siblings also participated in an interview with CBS 2's Sabrina Franza, telling us about their dad.
"People don't believe it – he would ride his bicycle almost five, six days a week," said son Fernando Munoz.
To his adult children, the elder Munoz was a pro – which is why they were so surprised he was struck and killed by a car on his normal route that Thursday morning. He was crossing the street at Illinois Route 59 and Shoe Factory Road.
Police said the driver who hit Munoz stayed on the scene. But months later, there still had not been any charges or citations.
The family had been pleading with the Cook County Sheriff's office to take the driver off the streets.
"It'll be just a matter of time that something like that could happen again," said Fernando Munoz.
Before the charges were announced, we reached out to police and asked them why there had not been any movement – months after the crash happened. The family said that call from CBS 2's Franza got results.
"Let me tell you what that phone call that you guys did there did," said Fernando Munoz. "Guess who called me at 10:30 p.m."
Deters made his first court appearance Sunday.
