Footage shows moment when woman was hit, killed by SUV
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Chicago (WBBM) — A mother of three was struck and killed while walking just a few blocks from her home in Englewood Monday afternoon.
On Tuesday, CBS 2 Investigator Megan Hickey obtained an exclusive look at the speeding sport-utility vehicle, and possible police pursuit, that took the woman’s life.
We paused the video on television before the woman was struck, but viewers and readers are warned that it is difficult to watch. Meanwhile, there are still plenty of questions about why the driver who struck the woman was driving so recklessly.
Lakisel Thomas, 43, was walking along the edge of the snow at the intersection of 74th Street and Racine Avenue in the midday hours Monday, when a silver Chevrolet SUV came barreling through a red light.
That SUV slammed into a red Jeep SUV headed west on 74th Street, and Thomas could not get out of the way in time.
The beloved mom and long-time Evergreen Park Sam’s Club cashier was taken to St. Bernard Hospital, but was pronounced dead minutes later.
The offender’s silver headlight landed 100 feet away.
The 19-year-old man who was driving and another man tried to run away, but they were both taken into custody. Police said one of them was armed.
But why was the car speeding so fast through this busy Englewood intersection? Police said they were investigating whether the crash may have stemmed from a traffic pursuit that began four blocks away.
When Hickey asked Chicago Police why they might have been chasing the car that took Thomas’ life, a spokesperson would only say that the Major Accidents Investigation Unit was investigating.
What is clear from the video is that less than five seconds after the initial impact, a Chicago Police squad car with lights flashing enters the frame and officers dart towards the silver SUV.
At last check, charges in this case were still pending.
Hickey also spoke with some of Thomas loved ones on Tuesday. No one who was up to speaking on camera, but they said she was a hard worker and a loving mother, and she will be greatly missed.
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