Family of woman killed in River North crash suing deceased driver

The family of a woman killed in a River North crash on Monday is suing the driver of the vehicle, who was later found dead by his own hand at his home.

About 1:30 a.m. Monday, a 2009 Nissan coupe was speeding west in the 400 block of West Ontario Street when it struck a utility pole at Orleans Street, causing the car to spin out and burst into flames, according to Chicago Police.

A passenger in the car, 21-year-old Alejandra Damian of Joliet, was pulled from the wreck, but was already dead, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. An autopsy found she died of injuries suffered in the crash.

The driver, 34-year-old Anthony Milder, jumped out of the car and ran away, according to a police source and the medical examiner’s office. He was found dead Monday night in his apartment in the 1800 block of North Wood Street. An autopsy ruled his death a suicide.

Maria Lourdes Damian filed the lawsuit as the administrator of Alejandra Damian’s estate on Friday in Cook County Circuit Court. The suit seeks more than $50,000 in damages against Milder.

The suit accuses Milder of negligence and claims he drove while under the influence of alcohol.

The suit also seeks information in discovery from Bottled Blonde Chicago, LLC; Evening Entertainment Group, LLC; and The Underground Chicago, which could determine if additional defendants will be named in the suit.

Milder posted to Facebook at 6:32 p.m. Sunday that he was at Bottled Blonde, a bar located at 504 N. Wells St. in the River North neighborhood.

Sources said that Milder and Damian were at Bottled Blonde for several hours prior to the crash, as well as several other River North bars that night.