Hit-and-Run Driver Fatally Struck Male Pedestrian in Chatham and Dragged Him 5 Blocks

A driver fatally struck a 22-year-old man in Chatham early this morning and fled the scene, dragging the victim for five blocks.

Around 3:10 a.m this morning, the pedestrian was crossing 79th Street northbound at Cottage Grove and South Chicago. A 2014 Active Transportation Alliance analysis found that this is one of the most dangerous intersections in the city, the junction of two multilane streets.

The northbound driver who struck the man may have been in a gray Hyundai Elantra, NBC reported. The motorist then fled east on 79th, dragging the victim beneath the vehicle until they reached the 7900 block of South Dobson Avenue, police said.

As of early this afternoon, no arrests had been made, police said.

Fatality Tracker: 2018 Chicago pedestrian and bicyclist deaths

Pedestrian: 36
Bicyclist: 6

Note: Streetsblog Chicago’s traffic death numbers represent fatal crashes on Chicago streets. The counts are based on Chicago Police Department data for January-September 2018 released by the Chicago Department of Transportation, plus media reports for October.

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