Man Dragged, Killed In East Chatham Hit-and-Run
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A 22-year-old man was killed when he was struck by a car Tuesday morning in the East Chatham neighborhood, and dragged nearly three quarters of a mile.
Police said the man was walking near 79th and Cottage Grove shortly after 3 a.m., when a gray sedan – possibly a Hyundai Elantra – struck him while heading north on Cottage Grove.
The force of the collision actually knocked the victim out of at least one of his shoes, which could be seen lying in the middle of 79th and Cottage Grove hours later.
The driver did not stop, but instead turned west on 79th Street.
Chris, who didn't want to give his last name, said he was talking with the victim just minutes before he was killed.
"The car coming that way hit him, boom," he said. "I come and look. He already dragging down the block."
The victim was trapped under the car, and was dragged all the way to 79th and Dobson before he was jarred loose from the bottom of the car. The young man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Sandra Cortez has known the victim for the past three years. He was a regular at the fast food restaurant where she works, and had been inside just minutes before he was killed. Hearing about the horrible way he died left her almost speechless.
"It's hard to believe. You wouldn't think somebody would really do that to somebody else," she said.
Sources said there is video of the collision, which could help investigators track down the hit-and-run driver.
The scene was so gruesome, a fire truck was brought in to hose down 79th Street between Cottage Grove and Dobson, but nothing will wash away Cortez's memory of what happened.
"It was horrible. I mean, I wouldn't wish it on anybody," she said.
No one was in custody Tuesday morning. The Police Major Accidents Investigation Unit was investigating.
