Car strikes body lying in Niles roadway; police open death investigation

NILES, Ill. (WLS) -- A car struck a pedestrian's body lying in a Niles roadway Wednesday night, police said.

An officer on patrol was driving in the parking lot of 8650 West Dempster Street at about 9:37 p.m. when they heard a loud noise and saw a 2013 Honda minivan driving northbound in the 8800 block of Greenwood Avenue strike the body of a man that was lying in the roadway.

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Squad car video later confirmed that the man's body was lying in the roadway before being struck by the car, police said. The Niles Fire Department responded and the pedestrian was pronounced deceased on scene at 9:48 p.m. The victim has yet to be identified.

The driver of the Honda, a 49-year-old man from Niles, stayed on the scene and is fully cooperating with the investigation, police said. He did not show signs of impairment.

The crash remains under investigation by the Niles Police Department with assistance from the North Regional Major Crimes Task Force's Major Crash Assistance Team. The investigation is still open and active. Investigators are looking into how the victim wound up in the street initially.