Earlier this month Streetsblog wrote about the March 3 case of an SUV driver fatally striking a woman on foot near Foster Avenue and Pulaski Road in the North Park neighborhood. While this was the first case I'd seen in news reports this year of a deadly crash involving a vulnerable road users on Chicago surface streets, I noted there were indications that other people people on foot and bike may have been killed. After doing some more research, I've identified some more of the incidents.
I typically learn about crash fatalities from Google searches for news stories, which I post in Streetsblog Chicago's Today's Headlines, published every weekday.
The Chicago Police Department's Media Major Incident Notifications site is another source. The department's News Affairs office can sometimes provide additional info.
The Chicago Department of Transportation's Monthly Fatal Crash Summaries also is an info source. But so far this year, only the January 2026 update is avalaible.
Another resource is SBC cofounder Steven Vance's Chicago Crash Browser, which is based on preliminary CPD data available through the City's open data portal.
Here's what I was able to find out so far about three additional pedestrian fatalities this year and one bike crash death.
• On Wednesday, January 7, around 8:44 a.m., a 42-year-old woman driving an SUV southbound struck a man, 64, crossing eastbound at 9498 S. Lafayette Ave. in Roseland, according to police. Lafayette is essentially an offramp for the Dan Ryan Expressway, where high speeds and pedestrian fatalities are all too common. This location is just north of the 95th/Dan Ryan Red Line terminal. According to police, the victim was crossing mid-block. He was taken to Christ Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The driver was not cited.
• On Thursday, January 29, around 8:20 p.m., the 33-year-old male driver of a Toyota fatally struck a male bike rider of unknown age in the 8600 block of West Irving Park Road next to O'Hare Airport, according to police. Here Irving Park is a four-lane road, which encourages speeding, and there are no shoulders. This location is also next to Schiller Model Airplane Flying Field. The victim was taken to Lutheran General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The motorist was cited for failure to reduce speed.
• On Monday, February 16, around 4:12 p.m., a 37-year-old female truck driver struck a woman, 63, in the 7200 block of West Bryn Mawr Avenue in Norwood Park, according to News Affairs. In this location, Bryn Mawr functions as an off-ramp for the Kennedy Expressway, and both streets have multiple lanes, which encourages speeding. The pedestrian was transported to Resurrection Medical Center where she was pronounced dead. The driver was cited for failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
• On Wednesday, March 11, sometime before 10 p.m., a hit-and-run driver fatally struck a woman, 32, in the 2100 block of East 83rd Street in South Chicago. After she was found unresponsive, she was transported to University of Chicago, where she was pronounced dead from severe trauma.
Fatality Tracker: 2026 Chicago pedestrian and bicyclist deaths on surface streets
Pedestrian: 4
Bicyclist and scooter: 1
Streetsblog Chicago’s traffic death numbers represent fatal crashes on Chicago surface streets, based on media reports and/or preliminary Chicago Police Department data.
2026 Chicago pedestrian fatalities
• On Wednesday, January 7, around 8:44 a.m., a 42-year-old woman driving an SUV fatally struck a man, 64, crossing at 9498 S. Lafayette Ave. in Roseland.
• On Monday, February 16, around 4:12 p.m., a 37-year-old female truck driver struck and killed a woman, 63, in the 7200 block of West Bryn Mawr Avenue in Norwood Park.
• On Tuesday, March 3, 2026, around 6:15 PM, an SUV driver, 70, fatally struck a female pedestrian in the 4000 block of West Foster Avenue in the North Park neighborhood.
• On Wednesday, March 11, sometime before 10 p.m., a hit-and-run driver fatally struck a woman, 32, in the 2100 block of East 83rd Street in South Chicago.
2026 Chicago bicycle and e-scooter fatalities
• On Thursday, January 29, around 8:20 p.m., the 33-year-old male driver of a Toyota struck and killed a male bike rider of unknown age in the 8600 block of West Irving Park Road next to O'Hare Airport.
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