Man found dead after car crashes into pole on NW Side

A passenger was killed and the driver took off after a car crashed into a pole early Thursday in the Belmont Gardens neighborhood on the Northwest Side.

The car crashed into the pole about 3:15 a.m. and came to rest against a building in the 4200 block of West Diversey, according to Chicago Police.

A passenger, identified as 21-year-old Cheech Roberto Martinez, was pronounced dead at the scene at 3:35 a.m., according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He lived in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood.

An autopsy found he died of multiple injuries when the car rolled over and struck a fixed object. The death was ruled an accident, according to the medical examiner’s office.

The driver ran away after the crash, police said. The police Major Accidents Investigation Unit was investigating.