A man is accused of fleeing the scene after allegedly fatally striking a 57-year-old man with his vehicle earlier this month in Lawndale on the West Side.
Jaimee Chandler, 25, was charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving death, according to a bond proffer prepared by the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.
The 57-year-old man was walking with someone about 8:52 p.m. May 6 in the 2400 block of West Congress Parkway when someone pulled over to offer them leftover food, prosecutors said. Chandler, who was exiting the I-290 expressway, drove around the car and struck the man.
The impact caused the man to fly though the air and land on the sidewalk near a youth outreach building, prosecutors said. He died on the scene from his injuries.
The Cook County medical examiner’s office identified him as William Merritt of Lincoln Park.
Chandler didn’t stop to help Merritt and continued driving away, prosecutors said. He parked his car and ran off.
Chandler called police the next day and claimed his car had been stolen when he went to buy weed from someone, prosecutors said. When he went to a police station on May 18 to view photos of the alleged dealer, Chandler admitted to leaving the scene of the crash.
Chandler was ordered held on $200,000 bail at a hearing Tuesday. He is due in court again on June 8.
