A driver ran away from the scene of a crash that left a pedestrian dead Friday evening in south suburban Blue Island.
A vehicle heading north on Western Avenue about 7:20 p.m. left the road and hit a pedestrian near Desplaines Street, according to a statement from Blue Island police. The driver then ran away on foot before police arrived.
The pedestrian, identified as 30-year-old Francis Mihalovits of Blue Island, was taken to MetroSouth Medical Center in Blue Island, where he was pronounced dead at 8:02 p.m., according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. An autopsy found he died of injuries from the crash and his death was ruled an accident.
A woman and two children, including one infant, were passengers in the vehicle at the time of the crash, according to police. They did not appear to be injured but were also taken to MetroSouth as a precaution.
Investigators learned that the driver of the vehicle was involved in a theft in south suburban Posen shortly before the crash, according to police. The South Suburban Major Accident Reconstruction Team was assisting Blue Island police with the investigation.
Anyone with information was asked to submit tips to investigations@bipolice.org.