Sadly, on Friday afternoon, the driver of a sedan fatally struck Maximiliano Lemus Jr., 72, in Little Village and fled the scene.
According to police, on Friday, October 24, around 2:41 p.m., Lemus was walking in a crosswalk on the south leg of 26h Street and Komensky Avenue, (4100 W.) in Little Village.
That was when the driver of white 2011 to 2014 Hyundai Sonata struck the victim. He later died from his injuries.
Police have released a photo of the car, but have not apprehended the motorist.
An obituary for Pantoja states, "His kind spirit and generous heart touched our family and all who crossed his path. He found joy in life's simple moments-through small acts of love, listening to his favorite music, or cheering passionately for his beloved Cubs."
Fatality Tracker: 2025 Chicago pedestrian and bicyclist deaths on surface streets
Pedestrian: 23
Bicyclist: 2
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 13, 2025, a hit-and-run driver fatally struck a pedestrian in an alley at 1145 N. Harding Ave. in the Humboldt Park community area.
• 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, 2025, 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.
• On May 16, 2025, a semi truck reportedly disobeyed his traffic signal when making a right turn and ran over and killed a 44-year-old man in the crosswalk at Cermak and Ashland avenues in Pilsen.
• On May 24, 2025, an SUV driver failed to yield while making a left turn, causing a crash and fatally striking Maria Ochoa, 88, at Archer and Laramie avenues in Garfield Ridge.
• On June 10, 2025, the left-turning driver of a large vehicle leaving a parking lot fatally struck a pedestrian mid-block at 4823 W. Diversey Ave. in Belmont Cragin.
• On June 21, 2025, a hit-and-run car sedan struck and killed Brendan Siddall, 26 on DuSable Lake Shore Drive near Waveland Avenue in Lakeview.
• On July 13, 2025, an allegedly intoxicated driver fatally struck Rosa Hernandez, 69, at Roosevelt Road and Halsted Street on the Near West Side.
• On July 19, 2025 a hit-and-run car driver fatally struck Marcela Herrera, 22, and seriously injured her fiancé, Mauricio Leyva, 21, at Cullerton and Ashland avenues in Pilsen.
• On July 31, 2025, around 6:53 p.m., a Chevy driver fatally struck a female pedestrian near 63rd and Morgan streets in Englewood. The driver was arrested and charges were pending.
• On August 3, 2025, around 3:23 a.m., a man, 31, was found unresponsive in the 7600 block of South Stewart Avenue in Gresham and later pronounced dead, the victim of a hit-and-run driver.
• On August 6, 2025, around 7:30 p.m., a hit-and-run SUV driver fatally struck a pedestrian in the 1400 block of West Estes Avenue in Rogers Park
• On August 9, 2025, around 3:20 a.m., a hit-and-run SUV driver fatally struck Jermaine Martin, 22 in the 5400 block of South Kedzie Avenue in the Gage Park community.
• On September 18, 2025, the driver of a Chevy sedan fatally struck Anakin Perez, 9, in front of his school on the 4800 block of West Walton Street in Austin.
• On October 1, 2025, a minivan driver fatally struck Juslene Akeza, 4, as she crossed the street at Granville and Talman avenues in West Ridge.
• On October 19, 2025, a speeding hit-and-run sedan driver fatally struck an adult female pedestrian near 66th Street and Ashland Avenue in West Englewood.
• On October 24, 2025, a hit-and-run sedan driver fatally struck Maximiliano Lemus Jr., 72, near 26th Street and Komensky Avenue in Little Village.
2025 Chicago bike fatality cases
• On May 26, 2025, a Hummer SUV driver fatally struck Yader Castaneda, 18, at Randolph Street and Michigan Avenue in the Loop.
• On Saturday, July 5, 2025, a hit-and-run Audi driver fatally struck Shaheed Muhammed, 56, on his bicycle at 63rd and Halsted streets in Englewood. The victim died from his injuries on Thursday, July 10.
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