68-year-old woman dies after being struck by hit-and-run driver in Austin neighborhood on Feb. 24

CHICAGO — A 68-year-old woman has died after being struck by a hit-and-run driver while she was crossing the street in the Austin neighborhood on the city’s West Side last week.

The victim has been identified by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office as Pamela Lukes.

According to Chicago police, the woman later identified as Lukes was crossing a street in the 5400 block of West North Avenue around 8 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 24, when she was struck by a light-colored sedan going west on North Ave. That car then fled the scene, police say.

Lukes sustained a laceration on her head and fractures to her legs, according to police. She was treated by the Chicago Fire Department and taken to an area hospital, where she was initially listed in critical condition.

Police say they believe they have a good idea of the make and model of the hit-and-run vehicle, but nobody is yet in custody. Not long after the woman was hit, police sent out a community alert with a photo of a car similar to the one they believe hit her: a gray, four-door Hyundai Sonata, possibly a model from 2004 to 2006, and likely with front-end damage on the driver’s side.

There are several businesses with surveillance cameras in the area of the incident, so police are hoping one or more captured footage of the hit-and-run.

Anyone with information on a possible suspect is urged to contact the Major Accident Investigation Unit at 312-745-4521 or submit an anonymous tip at CPDTIP.com, using reference number JJ160722.