Tragically, drivers have fatally struck at least two more people on foot this year on Chicago streets

At Streetsblog Chicago, we try to do writeups of every case in which a person walking, biking, or riding an e-scooter dies in a traffic crash on our city’s surface streets. We often hear about these cases through Google searches for sustainable transportation-related news stories, which appear in our daily Today’s Headlines post.

We also learn about incidents from the Chicago Police Department’s Media Major Incident Notifications website. In some cases, Police News Affairs can provide additional information.

Another source is the Monthly Fatal Crash Summaries released by the Chicago Department of Transportation. These reports are typically published a month or two after traffic crashes occur. Currently the most recent report is for July 2026.

Last week, I learnded of two more cases this summer where drivers fatally struck people who were walking, which Streetsblog had not covered before.

Hit-and-run driver killed woman, 42, on Ashland in Auburn Gresham

According to News Affairs, on Saturday, June 6, around 12:45 a.m., a 42-year-old woman was crossing the the street on the 7900 block of South Ashland Avenue in Auburn Gresham. At this location Ashland is a five-lane street, which encourages motorists to speed.

Per CPD, the speeding northbound driver of an unknown vehicle ran red light, struck the pedestrian, and fled the scene. The woman was taken to Christ Hospital in critical condition and later pronounced dad.

This was the third time a driver fatally struck a pedestrian on Ashland in Chicago this year. One of the other cases took place only a mile south of the June 6 crash. On Thursday, May 14, the hit-and-run driver of a sedan struck and killed a 36-year-old man near 87th Street and Ashland, also in Auburn Gresham.

Turning jeep driver fatally struck man, 71, on Pulaski in West Lawn

On, Thursday, July 2, around 6:47 p.m., a 71-year-old man was attempting to cross the street in a crosswalk at 7258 S. Pulaski Rd. in West Lawn, Police News Affairs said. At this location, Pulaski is a five-lane road, which makes it easier to drive at high speeds.

The 24-year-old driver of a large 2012 Jeep was speeding north when he attempted to turn west, failed to yield, and struck the senior, police said. The victim was transported to Holy Cross Hospital in serious condition, and later pronounced dead. The motorist stayed on the scene.

This was the fourth fatal pedestrian crash on Pulaski in our city this year. One of the other cases took place only about a half-mile south of the July 2 collision. On Tuesday, May 12, a hit-and-run SUV driver struck and killed Enrique Nieto, 53, while he was replacing a flat car tire in the street near 68th Street and Pulaski, also in West Lawn.

Chicago arterial streets where drivers killed multiple vulnerable road users in 2026

Here are arterial streets in Chicago that have seen multiple pedestrian, bike, and/or e-scooter fatalities this year.

Ashland Avenue: Three pedestrian deaths

Belmont Avenue: Two pedestrian deaths

63rd Street: One pedestrian death and one bicycle death

Central Avenue: Two pedestrian deaths

Halsted Street: One pedestrian death and one bicycle death

Irving Park Road: Two pedestrian deaths

Pulaski Road: Four pedestrian deaths

Western Avenue: Three pedestrian deaths and one e-scooter death

Clearly, more must be done to improve traffic safety on these corridors.

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

Pedestrian: 20

Bicycle or e-scooter: 6

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, 53, 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 Saturday June 6, around 12:45 a.m., a hit-run-driver ran a red and fatally struck a 42-year-old woman on the 7900 block of South Ashland Avenue in Auburn Gresham.

• On Thursday, July 2, 2026, around 6:47 p.m., a jeep driver failed to yield while turning and fatally struck a man, 71, at 6258 S. Pulaski Rd. in West Lawn.

• 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.

• On Wednesday, July 29, at around 11:41 a.m., a hit-and-run truck driver struck and killed Belesda Toledo, 47, on the 2500 block of South Hamlin Avenue in Little Village.

• On Saturday, August 8, around 9:22 p.m., a sedan driver fatally struck Sarah Milcarek, 25, on the 1400 block of West Irving Park Road in Lakeview.

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.

• On Wednesday August 5 at about 3:37 PM a semi driver and Alex Blacio, 16, riding an e-scooter, collided at 4025 N. Western Ave. in North Center, and the teen later died from his injuries.

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