Man charged in Wrigleyville hit-and-run that claimed life of cancer survivor

A man was charged in connection with a fatal hit-and-run Aug. 14, 2021, in Wrigleyville. | Adobe Stock Photo

A Lincoln Park man who had his driver’s license suspended over a decade ago allegedly slammed into two women on the sidewalk, killing one of them in a Wrigleyville hit-and-run over the summer, Cook County prosecutors said Tuesday.

Sophie Elizabeth Allen, a 27-year-old cancer survivor, was killed when Brett Dimick drove a BMW X3 through a stop sign and onto a sidewalk in the 3500 block of North Fremont Avenue on the afternoon of Aug. 14, Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy said.

“He should not have been driving in the first place,” Murphy said of 30-year-old Dimick.

“He was driving in a reckless manner and basically mowed down these two pedestrians. She [Allen] survived cancer but didn’t survive an encounter with this defendant.”

Allen, of Orlando, Florida, was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center where she was pronounced dead. The surviving victim was also taken to Illinois Masonic in good condition.

Witnesses saw Dimick and his passenger flee from the BMW, Murphy said. But Dimick left a pair of sandals near the car that were later tested for DNA, Murphy said.

Brett Dimick

Police surveillance cameras didn’t capture the crash, but the BMW was seen driving recklessly in the neighborhood and had crashed into another vehicle before striking the women, Murphy said.

Dimick’s driver’s license had been suspended since 2009 after a misdemeanor DUI conviction in DuPage County, Murphy said.

Dimick turned himself into police Monday. He was ordered held on $500,000 cash bail Tuesday for reckless homicide, failure to report a death and failure to report an injury.

Dimick has several drug-related convictions in Will and DuPage counties, prosecutors said.

He is expected back in court for the hit-and-run charges on Jan. 3.