Woman charged with reckless homicide for South Loop crash

A 27-year-old woman is facing several charges after her passenger was killed in a single-car crash late Sunday in the South Loop.

Samantha Salazar was charged with felony counts of reckless homicide by motor vehicle and aggravated DUI causing accident or death, and misdemeanor counts of DUI and driving on a suspended license, according to Chicago Police.

About 11:40 p.m. Sunday, police responded to the 1100 block of South Indiana and found two people inside a 2011 Lincoln sedan that was disabled near a brick embankment, police said. Damage to the vehicle suggested it was involved in a crash.

James E. Pickett, 52, was extricated from the car by firefighters, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. Salazar, the driver, was also extricated.

Both were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where Pickett was pronounced dead at 1:03 a.m. Monday, authorities said. He lived in the South Side Auburn Gresham neighborhood.

Salazar, of the Humboldt Park neighborhood, suffered injuries to her right leg and remained hospitalized as of Wednesday, authorities said. In addition to the charges, she was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and operating a motor vehicle without insurance.

She was ordered held at the Cook County Jail on a $750,000 bond, and is next scheduled to appear in court Friday, according to the Cook County sheriff’s office.