University of Illinois graduate killed in Dan Ryan Expressway crash on July 4

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Rosemarie Garza, who recently graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in Industrial Engineering, was killed in a hit-and-run crash on the Dan Ryan expressway early Sunday morning.

"I'm just lost for words. I just want justice for my niece," said Marina Garza. "She was such a loving person. Her smile was just contagious. Anybody who knew Rose, it was just immediately love and affect from her."

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Rosemarie was 22 years old when she died. Her family said in the early morning hours of the Fourth of July, she was on her way home with her boyfriend when a driver struck their Ford Fusion from behind as they were on the Dan Ryan near 95th Street.

"She went out to be with her boyfriend. They were going to go to dinner, come back, and that's it, she was just taken away," Marina Garza said.

Illinois State Police said the driver that hit the couple took off after the crash.

"You caused that car to spin out and left them in that embankment, and that's it; you just left her out there. You just stole our life away," Garza said.

Rosemarie's family is asking the public for their help bringing the hit-and-run driver to justice and peace for their grieving family.

"We just want justice for her. For somebody that's 22, who is just so proud of her culture and so proud of making us proud," Garza said. "You took a part of us for no reason."