A Chicago family is left to cope with a heartbreaking tragedy after a 5-year-old boy was killed in a hit-and-run collision on Wednesday night.
Taha Khan, who was set to start kindergarten in a few weeks at Sauganash Elementary, was struck by two vehicles near the intersection of Devon and Cicero on the city’s Northwest Side on Wednesday night.
The first vehicle that struck Taha, described as a red Jeep, sped away from the scene, while the driver of the second vehicle stayed at the scene as the family frantically sought help.
“He had head injuries, his wrist was fractured,” Shahzad Khan, Taha’s father, said. “He was bleeding inside.”
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“We called his name, other people gave him CPR, I’m just panicking,” Misbah Khan, Taha’s mother, added. “Just praying that ‘please come ambulance, please come.’”
Taha briefly regained a pulse at a nearby hospital, but he died a short time later from his injuries.
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The Khan family says they are not sure how or why Taha left the house on his own before being struck by the vehicles.
Shahzad Khan says that Taha was just weeks away from turning 6 years old, and he wanted to celebrate with a Pokemon-themed party.
“He wanted to have the Pikachu party,” he said. “The first time he mentioned he wants to have that, and told him okay.”
Instead, his family is now left searching for answers in the case, with Misbah Khan saying that several businesses along the roadway could potentially have security camera footage that could help identify the driver who hit her son.
“We just want to catch that person,” she said. “Not for my kid, but to save other people’s kids.”
Chicago police say that there are no suspects currently in custody in connection with the case, and an investigation is underway. The driver of the second vehicle that remained on the scene was questioned by police, but it is unclear whether that driver will face any citations or charges in connection with the incident.
