Teenage Girl Killed by Drunk Driver in Oak Lawn, Illinois

CHICAGO, IL- Chicago.cbslocal.com writes that a 15-year-old girl was killed when she was hit by a vehicle in Chicago Ridge at about 7:45 in the morning on Monday, February 4, 2019. Reports indicate that the driver had been arrested for allegedly stealing alcohol. The driver was released and got back into his vehicle.

The girl, who was a student at Richards High School was struck by the 2007 Volkswagen as she walked on South Central Avenue. The car was being sought after by police after it had been involved in multiple hit-and-run crashes throughout the neighborhood. The police were following the suspect at the time of the accident, and an officer witnessed the girl being hit and saw the driver flee the scene. Another officer was able to stop the suspect’s vehicle.

The police say that the girl was on the curb or sidewalk when she was struck. The girl was transported to the Christ Hospital but died from the injuries that she suffered in the crash. Her identity has not yet been reported.

The driver of the vehicle was identified asa 25-year-old. The suspect is now in police custody.

Drunk driving remains a problem across the United States even though driving above the legal limit, which is .08 percent blood alcohol concentration, is illegal in all 50 states. Still,about 28 percent of all traffic-related fatalities are the result of a drunk driver. Drugged driving has also become a growing problem across the country as a result of the opioidepidemic and legalized marijuana. It is important to remember how the severe consequences that individuals caught driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol face.

Source:https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2019/02/04/oak-lawn-student-killed-crash/