Driver Who Fatally Struck Pedestrian in Grant Park Was Not Cited

A female motorist who struck and killed a 37-year old man in Grant Park has not been cited with any violations, according to Officer Janel Sedevic from News Affairs.

At around 12:40 p.m., Richard Hill “stepped into oncoming traffic” while walking eastbound across the 1100 block of Columbus Drive in Grant Park, near the Museum Campus, Sedevic said. The driver, who was traveling south when she struck him, stayed on the scene, according to Sedevic.

Hill, of the 3000 block of Monroe Street in south-suburban Bellwood, was transported to Northwestern Hospital, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He was pronounced dead at 1:07 p.m.

Columbus is a six-lane street with relatively few stoplights, which encourages speeding. It appears that the drive may have too much capacity for the amount of car traffic it carries. If that is the case, the city should consider removing the excess travel lanes and possibly using the right-of-way to widen the sidewalks or add protected bike lanes.

Major Accidents is investigating the crash.

Fatality Tracker: 2015 Chicago pedestrian and bicyclist deaths
Pedestrian: 17 (6 were hit-and-run crashes)
Bicyclist: 2 (both were hit-and-run crashes)