Construction worker, father of 3 killed in Kennedy Expressway hit-and-run: 'He was a great guy'

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A construction worker was killed in a hit-and-run on the Kennedy Expressway Monday night, Illinois State Police said.

The crash happened shortly after 9 p.m. in the outbound lanes of the Kennedy Expressway at Kinzie Street.

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State police closed several lanes of traffic Monday night while they investigated the crash that killed 54-year-old Francisco Padilla-Gutierrez, who was working there.

Police said Padilla-Gutierrez was on a lift, painting the walls in the tunnel, when a tractor trailer hit the lift and kept going.

Two other vehicles then crashed, but no one was injured. Padilla-Gutierrez was transported to a nearby hospital, where he died.

"Says goodbye to family, goes to work. 'I'll be back at 5, 6 in the morning.' It wasn't the case," said Jorge Padilla, the victim's nephew.

His family in Calumet City is grieving Tuesday. Padilla-Gutierrez and his brother came to this country from Mexico as teenagers. They and other family have worked as painters in the Chicago area for many years.

"He his wife, Norma, were married more than three decades, had three daughters and a 2-year-old grandson," Jorge said. "He was a great guy. He was a 'yes' man, great uncle, great father."

Last month, the family vacationed at Disney World. They never imagined it would be their last vacation together. Family members are now hoping the truck driver who hit him comes forward, and they have a warning for drivers in road construction sites.

"You see a construction site, slow down. There's people that go there to work that love their families, and they love them back," Jorge said.

State police have not said whether they have pictures or video of the truck that hit Padilla-Gutierrez. They said the crash remains under investigation.