CHICAGO (WLS) — A man died in a hit-and-run accident Saturday morning on Chicago's West Side, police say.
The deadly hit-and-run happened around 1am in a very busy area of the West Loop, which is filled with restaurants and bars.
The accident is worrying for those who live and work in the area.
A 26-year-old man was crossing West Washington Boulevard and North Green Street when a car ran past a stop sign and hit him, police said.
A witness told officers they saw it all happen when a vehicle became involved then continued traveling eastward on Washington Boulevard.
Police said the victim, who received blunt force trauma all over the body, was taken in critical condition to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The medical examiner later identified him as James Richard Thompson.
“People run stop signs, they run red lights, they don't seem to care,” said Alexa Dalessandro, who lives in the West Loop.
Face Foundrié Chicago general manager Alexis Lopez saw a police barricade as she walked into work Saturday morning.
He said, sadly, he wasn't surprised an accident happened here, considering this intersection.
“I see people under the stop sign going about 30-40 miles per hour every day. A client will mention it and they'll be like someone just blew that stop sign and I'd be like, ‘yes this is an everyday occurrence. for us.,'” Lopez said. “One of our girls is pregnant. She was pregnant for the summer and was crossing the street and almost got hit by a car. It happens all the time. It happens every day and it's really sad and scary.”
As the West Loop's popularity grew, so did its traffic, said Neil Desai, who has lived in the area for eight years.
“More foot traffic and car traffic. So it would be nice to see, maybe, some red lights or just some infrastructure to help support the population increase,” said Desai.
Police are looking for a 2006-2010 four-door Mercedes-Benz sedan, which may be missing a passenger side mirror with possible frontal damage.
Investigators are pushing all businesses and buildings along Washington Boulevard from Sangamon Street to Wacker Drive to check their surveillance footage for any video that may have captured the vehicle. Major Accidents United is asking anyone with video or information to contact them at 312-745-4521.
As police searched for the vehicle and its driver, residents asked if more needed to be done.
“Definitely think there needs to be additional action to help prevent this from happening again,” Lopez said. “I don't know if that made the stop signs clearer or added stop lights, but I think something needs to be done.”
No one is in custody. Police did not immediately provide further information about the crash.
The video in the player above is from a previous report.
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