Man, 37, killed in crash with light pole in Park Manor, driver cited

A 37-year-old man was killed when the vehicle he was riding in crashed into a light pole Sunday night in the Park Manor neighborhood on the South Side.

Emergency crews responded just before 9 p.m. to the 700 block of East 75th Street for the crash, according to Chicago police.

Witnesses told investigators the 42-year-old man driving the vehicle was speeding west on 75th Street when he crashed into the light pole after crossing Cottage Grove Avenue, police said.

Both men were taken to University of Chicago Medical Center, where 37-year-old Steven M. Harris was pronounced dead and the driver was in critical condition, police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.

An autopsy found Harris, who lived in the Washington Park neighborhood, died of multiple blunt force injuries, the medical examiner’s office said. His death was ruled an accident.

The driver was cited with disobeying a red light, failure to reduce speed, driving without insurance and driving without a license, police said.

The Major Accidents unit was investigating.