Driver runs stop sign, kills pedestrian in West Loop hit-and-run, Chicago police say

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A man was killed in a Saturday morning hit-and-run crash on Chicago's West Side, police said.

The deadly hit-and-run happened around 1 a.m. in a very busy area of West Loop, filled with restaurants and bars.

The crash is worrisome to those who live and work in the area.

A 26-year-old man was crossing the intersection West Washington Boulevard and North Green Street when a car blew through a stop sign and hit him, police said.

A witness told officers they saw it all happen as a vehicle involved then continued eastbound on Washington Boulevard.

Police said the victim, who suffered blunt force trauma to the whole body, was transported in critical condition to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

"People blow through stop signs, they run through red lights, they just seem to not care," said Alexa Dalessandro, who lives in the West Loop.

The general manager of Face Foundrié Chicago, Alexis Lopez, saw the police barricades when she came into work Saturday morning.

She said, sadly, she's not surprised a crash happened here, given this intersection.

"I see people below the stop sign at like 30-40 miles an hour every single day. A client will mention it and they'll be like someone just blew that stop sign and I go, 'yeah this is a daily occurrence for us,'" Lopez said. "One of our girls was expecting. She was pregnant over the summer and was crossing the street and nearly got hit by a car. It happens all the time. It happens every day and it's just really sad and scary."

As the West Loop grows in popularity, so does the traffic, said Neil Desai, who has lived in the area for eight years.

"A lot more foot traffic and car traffic. So it would be nice to probably even see, maybe, some more stoplights or just some infrastructure to help support the increase in population," Desai said.

Police are looking for the four-door 2006-2010 Mercedes-Benz sedan, which may be missing the passenger side-view mirror with some possible front-end damage.

As police search for that vehicle and the driver, residents are asking if more should be done.

"Definitely think there needs to be added measures to help prevent this from happening again," Lopez said. "I don't know if it's making the stop signs more apparent or adding a stop light, but there's something that I think definitely needs to be done."

Major Accidents was on the scene investigating. There is no one in custody.

Police did not immediately provide further information about the crash.

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