A speeding, hit-and-run SUV driver ran a red and fatally struck food delivery worker Damian Gomez, 18, on his bicycle in Chicago Lawn
Tragically, an SUV driver traveling at a high rate of speed blew a stoplight and killed Damian Gomez, 18, who was making food deliveries by bike early Sunday morning in Chicago Lawn. The motorist also collided with another vehicle, critically injuring his passenger and injuring the other driver.
According to the initial police report, on Sunday, April 5, at around 1:20 a.m., a male driving a red SUV was speeding eastbound on 63rd Street and ignored the red signal at Kedzie Avenue. He struck Gomez, then crashed into a silver car, whose driver was heading south with a green light.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported that the SUV was a 2015 Ford Explorer, and other vehicle was a 2006 Honda Civic. The collision caused the silver car to land on Gomez, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
The SUV driver’s companion was a woman, 22, who was transported to Christ Hospital in critical condition, police said. The Civic driver, a 60-year-woman, was treated for minor injuries at the crash site. The driver who ran the light fled on foot before police arrived.
According to Police News Affairs this evening, no one was in custody.
A GoFundMe launched by Daisy Torres, Gomez’s aunt, has raised over $15,000 to help cover funeral expenses. “He was a good young man and very loved among all of us,” she wrote. “I’m asking for help, anything will help his mother and family in this hard moment.”
His mother Claudia Torres told CBS News that Gomez was trying to help out his family by earning money through food delivery. “He graduated from Hubbard High School last year,” she said. “He wanted to find a job and start providing.”
She told CBS that the hit-and-run SUV driver “needs to be arrested for what he did. You can run away, but we’re going to find you.”
“He’s going to have on his conscience that he killed an amazing person,” Gomez’s aunt added.
On Monday evening, members of Gage Park Cyclists, Chicago Taildraggers Bicycle Club, and Little Village Cyclists pedaled to the crash site as a tribute to Gomez. “After our weekly Archer Safe Streets Improvements Project rally, we rode to 63rd and Kedzie, the scene where Damian Gomez was killed by a hit-and-run driver on Easter,” said Archer rally co-organizer Alfredo Valladares Jr.
“Even though we did not know him, we took his death very personally because that could have happened to any one of us,” Valladares added. “We all ride in our own communities, and through neighboring communities at all times of the day, and night.”
“We will ride to the incident scene again tomorrow, Wednesday night.” Valladares said. “We will ride out from 55th and Artesian [at 7:15 p.m.] to 63rd and Kedzie to rally for justice for Damian and his family.”
Read the Sun-times report here.
Fatality Tracker: 2026 Chicago pedestrian and bicyclist deaths on surface streets
Pedestrian: 4
Bicycle or e-scooter: 3
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 24, around 8:20 p.m., the 33-year-old male driver of a Toyota fatally struck Roman Havelka, 63, on a bicycle in the 8600 block of West Irving Park Road.
• On Saturday, March 21, around 8:30 p.m., a hit-and-run driver fatally struck Violet Harris, 15, on an e-scooter in the 2800 block of East 77th Street in South Shore.
• On Sunday, April 5, around 1:20 a.m., a speeding, hit-and-run SUV driver fatally struck Damian Gomez, 18, on a bicycle at 63rd Street and Kedzie Avenue in Chicago Lawn.
If you value Streetsblog Chicago’s livable streets reporting and advocacy, please consider making a tax-deductible donation here to help us continue publishing through 2026. Thank you for your support.
Comments Are Temporarily Disabled
Streetsblog is in the process of migrating our commenting system. During this transition, commenting is temporarily unavailable.
Once the migration is complete, you will be able to log back in and will have full access to your comment history. We appreciate your patience and look forward to having you back in the conversation soon.