Last night, an SUV driver killed a man, 63, on foot in Gage Park. It was the third fatal pedestrian crash on Western on the Southwest Side in less than three months.

Tragically, the case of an SUV driver fatally striking a male pedestrian last night in the Gage Park neighborhood was the third time a motorist struck and killed a person on foot on Western Avenue on the Southwest Side in under three months. And the latest deadly collision happened only a block south of where one of the previous victims was killed.

On Monday, April 20, at about 6 p.m., a semi driver fatally struck Autumn Perez, 29, at 6341 S. Western Ave. in the Chicago Lawn community.

And on Saturday, May 2, around 2:40 a.m., after an altercation, a SUV driver fatally struck a man, 65, standing on the sidewalk on the 5000 block South Western Avenue in Gage Park, then fled the scene.

Last night, Sunday, July 26, at around 10:47 p.m., a 39-year-old man was speeding south in a gray SUV on Western in Gage Park, police said. Here Western is a five-lane street, which encourages deadly speeds.

The driver struck a male pedestrian, 63, who was pronounced dead on the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. His identity has not been released, pending notification of kin.

Police said the SUV driver then crashed into a light pole, which fell to the ground. He did not sustain any injuries.

After that collision, a man driving west in a blue sedan struck the pole. He declined medical attention.

The SUV driver was cited for failure to exercise due care for a pedestrian in the roadway and striking a fixture. According to Police News Affairs, the case also resulted in “issuance of warrant,” and the motorist “was taken into custody immediately after the incident occurred.”

Fatality Tracker: 2026 Chicago pedestrian and bicyclist deaths on surface streets

Pedestrian: 16

Bicycle or e-scooter: 5

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 Monday, February 16, before 7:30 p.m., a hit-and-run driver fatally struck a man, 69, in the 11900 block of South Halsted Street in West Pullman.

• On Tuesday, March 3, 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.

• On Friday, March 13, at around 12:06 p.m., the left-turning driver of a large vehicle fatally struck a pedestrian in a crosswalk at 3960 W. 26th St. in Little Village.

• On Sunday, April 12, around 9 p.m., a 17-year-old girl driving an SUV fatally struck a Fontella Wyatt, 43, crossing Ogden Avenue at Ashland Avenue on the Near West Side.

• On Sunday, April 19, at about 9:30 p.m., a hit-and-run pickup truck driver struck and killed Minerva Martinez, 65, in a crosswalk at Belmont and Central avenues in Belmont Cragin.

• On Monday, April 20, around 6 p.m., a semi-truck driver fatally struck Autumn Perez, 29, at 6341 S. Western Ave. in Chicago Lawn.

• On Tuesday, April 21, at around 4:24 p.m., a Honda driver, 47, fatally struck a male pedestrian, 78, at 4050 N. Central Avenue in Portage Park.

• On Wednesday, April 22, a driver failed to yield the right of way and fatally struck a pedestrian at 1498 N. California Ave. in West Town.

• On Saturday, May 2, around 2:40 a.m., after an argument, a driver fatally struck a man, 65, standing on the sidewalk on the 5000 block of S. Western Ave. in Gage Park, and then fled the scene.

• On Tuesday, May 12, Enrique Nieto was changing a flat car tire in the street on the 6800 block of South Pulaski Road when an SUV driver fatally struck him and fled the scene.

• On Thursday, May 14, a hit-and-run sedan driver fatally struck a man, 36, near 87th Street and Ashland Avenue in Auburn Gresham.

• On Saturday, May 23, around 5:15 p.m., a driver, 35, fatally struck Illeana Crisanto, 62, near Belmont and Kilbourn avenues, on the border of Irving Park and Hermosa.

• On Sunday, July 26, at around 10:47 p.m., a speeding SUV driver, 39, struck and killed a male pedestrian, 63, on the 5100 block of South Western Avenue in Gage Park.

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.

• On Friday, April 24, around 4:15 p.m., a Jeep driver struck and killed e-scooter rider Astrid Carrillo Noguera, 17, near 3340 S. King Dr. in the Douglas community.

• On Friday, June 5, around 4:40 p.m., a car driver opened their door on CDOT Planner Riley O’Neil, 35, causing him to clip the door and be thrown in front of a truck and fatally struck.

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