A beloved neighborhood fixture was killed Thursday, one of two people struck by a van in a brutal hit-and-run caught on camera in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood Thursday morning.
Police said the incident happened just before 11:30 a.m. near 57th Street and Racine Avenue. Hours later, they were still searching for the driver.
Witnesses said the minivan was traveling at a high rate of speed southbound on Racine when it crossed through an oncoming lane and a bike lane and jumped onto a sidewalk, striking both victims.
Security camera footage shows the vehicle squeezing between a grocery store and a delivery truck.
"As soon as I saw the car coming I tried to get as many people out of the way," said Luther Clark, who jumped into action to save his son from the crash. "Before I grabbed him I yelled out to as many people as I could that could hear me."
According to authorities, a man between 19 and 20 years old was taken to University of Chicago Hospital in stable condition and a 42-year-old woman was taken to the same hospital in critical condition.
The Cook County Medical Examiner's office confirmed the woman, Connie D. Mangrum, was pronounced dead.
Friends identified the woman as Connie "Love," well-known in the South Side Chicago neighborhood.
"She was like an aunty," said Keith Smith, who escaped being hit in the crash. "Everybody loved her around here."
Details on what caused the driver to veer onto the sidewalk weren't immediately known. It remained unclear if the crash was intention but no one was in custody as of Thursday afternoon, police said.
Check back for more on this developing story.
