July 22 Illinois hit-and-run pedestrian accidents result in charges in one case and a reward offer in another

For reasons that can only be speculated about, Chicago injury lawyers at Abels & Annes seem to hear about more and more hit-and-run accidents. The Illinois two pedestrian accidents discussed below are eerily similar. Both occurred on the same day in July and both involved SUV drivers swerving into pedestrians.

In one case, last weekend two people ran the Chicago Marathon in memory of an 18-year-old woman from the Northwest suburbs that was killed July 22 by a driver that fled the scene of the accident, NBC News is reporting.

The victim was a pedestrian who was struck and killed by a swerving SUV as she walked with a group of people on Church Street near Lake Zurich High School. Two of her friends sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

Unfortunately the at fault driver fled the accident scene and has still not been caught. There is currently a $5,000 reward being offered by the Lake County Crime Stoppers and the Lake Zurich Police Department.

The marathon runners hope to increase the offered reward by asking people to donate one dollar per mile. They have a goal of raising another $5,000-$10,000.

Anyone with information regarding this accident is encouraged to contact Lake Zurich police investigations at (847) 719-1695.

In another incident, a 24-year-old man from Glenview has been charged for his alleged role in a hit-and-run accident back in July, according to Trib Local. The arrest was made on October 9 and charges include leaving the scene of a personal injury accident. A judge set bond at $30,000 and the defendant is due back in court on October 26.

The collision also occurred on July 22 in the area of Country and Locust Lanes in Glenview. Two pedestrians were walking North on Country when they heard a vehicle coming up behind them. They turned around and saw a gray SUV swerving towards them. The automobile hit one of them, a 54 year old woman. The driver then fled the scene, heading northbound on Country Lane.

The injured pedestrian was taken by ambulance to Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge with non-life threatening injuries, according to investigating officers.

Surprisingly, the arrest was only made after the at fault driver made what is being reported as an “unsolicited appearance” at the Glenview Police Department.

We can only guess as to why the drivers in the above accidents fled the scene. Some believe that with a poor economy, more and more motorists are driving without insurance, which in turn leads to a greater likelihood of leaving the scene. However, in the to accidents discussed above, many might speculate that drugs or alcohol were involved. In both cases the drivers swerved into innocent pedestrians for reasons unknown and then left without assisting the victims. The repercussions of a DUI and possibly other serious charges could have been incentive enough to flee.

Sadly, in most hit-and-run cases the offending motorist is never caught by police. This type of crash is not a rare occurrence and attorneys at Abels & Annes handle hit-and-run claims a regular basis.