Woman on bike struck by driver in West Lawn is first Chicago cycling fatality of 2021

On the afternoon of Saturday, March 6, a motorist struck and killed a woman on a bike in the West Lawn community on the Southwest Side. The victim was the first person killed while biking on Chicago streets this year.

At about 5 p.m., a 20-year-old woman was driving west on 61st Street made a right turn to head north on Pulaski Road when she struck the victim, police said.

The victim was transported to Christ Hospital where she was pronounced dead, police said. According to the Cook Cook County medical examiner's office, the victim was on a bike when the driver struck her, and the death was ruled accidental. The medical examiner's office did not provide the age or identity of the victim.

The driver was cited for operating without a license or insurance; failure to reduce speed, and failure to exercise due care for a person in the roadway, police said. Major Accidents is still investigating.

Pedestrian: 4
Bicyclist: 1

Note: Streetsblog Chicago’s traffic death numbers represent fatal crashes on Chicago surface streets, based on media reports and/or preliminary Chicago Police Department data released by the Chicago Department of Transportation.