79-year-old man killed in hit-and-run crash on Near West Side, police seeking suspect who witness says ran light, fled on foot

CHICAGO — Chicago police are searching for a driver that a witness says fled on foot after running a red light and causing a crash that killed a 79-year-old man Tuesday night on the Near West Side.

According to police, officers responded to the scene of the crash around 8:30 p.m. in the 2400 block of West Jackson Boulevard. They were told by a witness that a black sedan going south on South Western Avenue ran a light and hit a white sedan going west on W. Jackson Blvd.

The driver of the black sedan then fled on foot, police say.

The driver of the white sedan, a 79-year-old man, sustained trauma to the body and was taken to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead. There was also a passenger in the white sedan, a 62-year-old woman, who was taken to an area hospital with an injury.

Detectives with CPD’s Major Accidents Unit were at the intersection collecting evidence for hours, but as of now police have nobody in custody and have not yet released a description of the suspect they’re looking for.