At 10:15 p.m. on November 8, a red SUV entered the gas station on the northwest corner of 63rd and California and struck a man who was getting into his minivan. The driver in the red SUV, which has a roof rack, fled the scene, police said.
The 35-year-old victim, Jose Roldan-Arroyo, is recovering at home with serious back and neck injuries. The accident has put him out of a job and now wonders how he will feed his family.
The mechanic was cut down as a driver wheeled into the gas station, pulling a u-turn to avoid a red light, according to a preliminary Chicago Police Department report. But the driver turned back onto northbound California and swung too wide, striking down Roldan-Arroyo as he emerged from his home.
Gas attendant Keisha Albarki saw it all, but it happened too fast to get a license plate number.
"I just hope they find the person responsible for it, that's it, and I really feel sorry for the family, they come here they are customers. I really do feel sorry for them," said Albarki.
Roldan-Arroyo's wife Alin says her 7-year-old saw the accident from upstairs and is traumatized. Her husband doesn't understand why the person who hit him didn't have the humanity to stop and offer aid. The family hopes seeing this suffering will give the red SUV driver the courage to come forward.
Family is most important to Roldan-Arroyo, he says, and he is determined to start rehabilitation and get on with the business of providing those he loves with a better life.
Chicago police say they are working to enhance the video at their documentation lab to see if they can get a better ID on the red SUV.
Tips should be called into the Major Accident Investigation Unit at(312) 745- 4521.
