32-year-old man dies after being struck by car in Melrose Park

A 32-year-old man died Saturday, two days after he was struck by a car while crossing the street in west suburban Melrose Park.

Juan Jimenez-Ponce was crossing southbound from the median in the 2400 block of West North Avenue at 7:19 p.m. Thursday when he was struck by a black Chevrolet Cobalt, according to a spokesman for the Village of Melrose Park.

Paramedics took Jimenez-Ponce to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, where he died at 6:53 a.m. Saturday, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He lived in the 1800 block of North 33^rd Avenue in Stone Park.

An autopsy found he died of multiple blunt-force injuries, and his death was ruled an accident.

According to the Melrose Park spokesman, Jimenez-Ponce had a blood alcohol content of .261 and also had cocaine and benzoids in his system.

The 18-year-old Melrose Park resident driving the Cobalt was cited for failure to exercise due care.