The accident happened on Glenwood Dyer Road in south suburban Lynwood, Ill.
"He's my grandbaby, my oldest," Elnora Harden, Devon Walker's grandmother, said tearfully.
The 22-year-old janitor and part-time Prairie State University student from Park Forest died early Sunday while enjoying a night out at a suburban roller rink with his 23-year-old cousin Exstavian Kelly and their friends.
"He was a fun-loving kid enjoying life. It's not like he was doing nothing in the streets," cousin Lashawn James said.
Witnesses say it was as the cousins -- whom relatives say may have been drinking -- got into an altercation with each other in the street outside of the Lynwood Roller Rink that the men were hit by a white pickup truck. Relative Laserik Kelly was there when the accident happened and says the driver tried to flee after realizing what he did, but he was stopped by a witness.
"We've got a lost one and another one fighting for his life," Kelly said.
Devon Walker was pronounced dead a short time later. Kelly remained in critical condition Sunday night.
According to a Lynwood Police Department press release, the man was taken into police custody --and later transported to a local hospital-- after the victims' family says they were told he suffered a diabetic seizure.
Relatives say detectives handling the investigation told them the driver had not been cited and could be released in 24 hours.
"I'm very disappointed with the police and how they are handling this. It's not fair," said Patricia Ward, the victims' aunt.
Sunday afternoon, angry relatives were left to grieve.
"It hurts everybody. The man should be ashamed of himself," said Lindsey Walker, one of the victim's girlfriend.
In addition to being on ventilator and suffering from internal bleeding, relatives say Exstavian Kelly also has a broken pelvis.
No charges had been filed Sunday night against the driver of the Ford pickup truck, who has been identified as a 56-year-old Chicago man. His name is being withheld pending charges.
