Chicago police said the crash happened in the Avondale neighborhood's 3500-block of North Elston Avenue just before 6 a.m.
Police said the driver of a Toyota RAV4 was traveling northbound on Elston Avenue when they disregarded a traffic signal and hit a Toyota Prius, which was heading southbound on Kedzie Avenue.
A passenger in the Prius, a 25-year-old man, was transported to Illinois Masonic Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office has identified him as 25-year-old Ali Abdullah of Naperville.
The Prius' driver, a 37-year-old man, was taken to the same hospital in critical condition, CPD said.
The RAV4's driver fled the scene on foot.
CPD's Major Accidents Unit is investigating.
Authorities did not immediately provide further information about the crash.
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