Driver Charged With Murder After Road Rage Leads to Death of Pedestrian

A Gary woman has been charged with murder and aggravated DUI after a domestic dispute escalated into road rage incident, resulting in the death of a bystander in Chicago’s Washington Park neighborhood, authorities said.

Early on Sunday morning, Shakita Woods, 33, got in a drunken argument with her new husband, 28, at a gas station at Garfield Boulevard and Wells Street, police said. The man struck her and then left the scene as a passenger in a maroon Buick, according to police. Woods got in her red Pontiac and chased the vehicle, police said.

At around 3:05 a.m., Woods intentionally struck the Buick near Garfield and State Street, causing the male driver to lose control, police said. He crashed into at least three other vehicles, hit a light pole, and careened into Brent Nelson, 51, who was standing on the corner, according to police.

Nelson was transported to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 5:52 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. The male driver and Woods’ husband were taken to Mercy Hospital, where their condition were stabilized, police said.

Woods,of the 800 block of West 19th Avenue in Gary, was charged with first-degree murder, reckless homicide, and aggravated DUI, according to police. She was also charged with two misdemeanor counts of DUI, one misdemeanor count of driving on a revoked license, and various other traffic citations. She was due in bond court today.

Area Central is investigating the case. NBC reported that a nearby liquor store has surveillance video of the crash, which police are now reviewing.

Fatality Tracker: 2015 Chicago pedestrian and bicyclist deaths
Pedestrian: 11 (4 were hit-and-run crashes)
Bicyclist: 2 (both were hit-and-run crashes)