Hit-and-run driver killed USMC vet Michael Flood, 73, in Beverly

A driver fatally struck Michael Flood, 73, a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, on Wednesday, October 30, in the Beverly neighborhood.

At about 9:15 p.m., Flood was crossing Western Avenue at 106th Street, according to police. Western is a five-lane street, which encourages speeding at off-peak times, and there are no stoplights or stop signs at 106th. Nathaniel Smith, 61, who was driving southbound, struck Flood and fled the scene, police said.

Flood was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in critical condition with a head injury. He died on November 1.

Police said Smith fled the scene after the crash, but he later returned to the crash site on foot and lied to responding officers about what took place. Witnesses identified him as the driver, and police arrested him.

Smith, who lives in south-suburban Manhattan, was charged with a misdemeanor for driving without insurance and causing bodily harm, and was also sited for failure to reduce speed to prevent a crash and driving without a license.

According to a report by the Beverly review's Kyle Garmes, Flood served in the Marines in Vietnam from 1965-1969. He was a member of International Union of Operating Engineers Local 399, and was married to his wife, Beverly, for 30 years. He was a fan of the White Sox and Bears, and he enjoyed golfing.

Fatality Tracker: 2019 Chicago pedestrian and bicyclist deaths on surface streets
Pedestrian: 35
Bicyclist: 4

Note: Streetsblog Chicago’s traffic death numbers represent fatal crashes on Chicago surface streets, based on preliminary Chicago Police Department data for January though August 2019 released by the Chicago Department of Transportation, plus media reports for September, October, and November.