Tragically, a motorist in an SUV fatally struck a senior citizen last Tuesday in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood and fled the scene.
According to the initial Chicago Police Department statement, on Tuesday, May 13, around 9:23 p.m., a female driver, 29, was traveling northbound on South Western Avenue when she struck a male pedestrian, 76, in the street near 71st Street. Western is a five lane "stroad" at this location, which encourages speeding.
The man suffered severe trauma from the crash, according to CPD. He was treated by the Chicago Fire Department and taken to Christ Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His identity has not been released.
The motorist fled the scene, but was stopped by police and arrested. Charges are pending.
Thursday evening, a Police News Affairs spokesperson said there were no updates on the incident.
The Illinois Traffic Crash Report, completed by responding police officers, provides more details about what reportedly happened. It indicates that the victim was crossing Western north of 71st Street when the driver killed him.
The crash report says that the motorist was taken into custody roughly an hour later, about a mile southwest of the crash sit at 2750 W. Columbus Ave. First responders transported her to Little Company of Mary Emergency Center for DUI testing.
The report says the the crash was recorded by a security camera at a gas station at 7051 S. Western Ave. The SUV was also captured by a license plate reader, as well as by Police Observation Device cameras.
Update 5/16/25, 9:15 AM: This morning CPD identified the driver as Nyamca Tolefree, and announced that she has been charged with a felony count of failing to report a deadly accident, a misdemeanor for operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, and was cited for speeding and open container.
Fatality Tracker: 2025 Chicago pedestrian and bicyclist deaths on surface streets
Pedestrian: 8
Bicyclist: 0
Streetsblog Chicago’s traffic death numbers represent fatal crashes on Chicago surface streets, based on media reports and/or preliminary Chicago Police Department data.
2025 Chicago pedestrian fatality cases
• On January 5, 2025, a Jeep driver fatally struck Alex Rivera, 32, in the 2600 block of West 60th Street in the Chicago Lawn community area.
• On January 24, 2025, a hit-and-run SUV driver struck and killed Halyna Hudzan, 66, on the 700 block of North Oakley Boulevard in West Town.
• On February 1, 2025, a truck driver struck and killed Hattie Mickell, 76, walking in the street on the 0-100 block of South Western Avenue on the Near West Side.
• On March 14, 2025, a motorcycle rider fatally struck Camryn Green, 26, as she crossed the street in the 6500 block of Higgins Avenue in Norwood Park.
• On March 17, 2025, a sedan driver sideswiped another car, then jumped the curb and fatally struck Jamie Cerney, 38, on the sidewalk of the 5200 block of West 63rd Street in Clearing.
• On April 7, 2025, a pickup driver fatally struck a 72-year-old man trying to cross DuSable Lake Shore Drive at Roosevelt Road in the Loop.
• On April 29, 2025, an allegedly intoxicated sedan driver fatally struck a woman, 25, on the sidewalk near 13th Street and Lawndale Avenue in North Lawndale.
• On May 13, an allegedly drunk SUV driver fatally struck a man, 76, on the 7000 South block of Western Avenue in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood and fled the scene.
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