A Schaumburg High School student whose lifeless body was found lying in a roadway in the northwest suburb early Saturday was being remembered as a beloved friend and athlete by school officials and classmates.
"I am writing with great sadness to report the loss of one of our students," stated Schaumburg High School Pricipal Tim Little in a letter to parents on Saturday. "Our thoughts and sympathies are with the student's family at this difficult time."
Mikias T. Tibebu, 18, was pronounced about dead about 1 a.m. after police and paramedics’ resuscitative efforts failed to revive him, authorities said.
While the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office ruled Tibebu’s death the result of an apparent hit-and-run collision, investigators say they have not yet determined his exact cause of death.
He was “a dedicated student with exceptional academic honors,” Schaumburg High School Principal Tim Little recalled of Tibebu in an email Saturday afternoon.
“A beloved friend and athlete, Mikias was also a committed member of the cross-country and track teams. Our thoughts and sympathies are with Mikias’ family and friends during this difficult time,” Little said in the email.
One of his friends said, “nothing bad could be said about him. He was one of the nicest kids on the team, and always working hard. He was loved by all and will be always.”
Tibebu will be remembered with a moment of silence during Saturday evening’s Schaumburg High School basketball game, school officials said.
Police and paramedics, responding to a report of a body in the road, say they found Tibebu, 18, lying in the street near Schaumburg Road and Branchwood Drive about 12:38 a.m.
The first arriving officer and bystanders performed CPR in an attempt to revive the teen. And life-saving efforts were continued once paramedics arrived on the scene, but Tibebu, of the 800 bock of Westfield Lane in Schaumburg could not be revived
Police are looking for witnesses who may have seen Tibebu’s death or possess information that could help their investigation.
“At this time we are not interested in calling it conclusively a hit-and-run,” said Schaumburg police Sgt. John Nebl. “We don’t want to rule anything out. We have no witnesses. We do not know how he ended up in the roadway.”
According to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office Tibebu was walking near Schaumburg Road and Branchwood Drive when he was hit by a vehicle that drove off, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.
The Schaumburg Police Department’s Investigations Division and Traffic Crash Reconstruction Team are being assisted by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office with this investigation.
Members of the school district’s Crisis Response Team will be available throughout the day on Monday at the high school to provide support for the Schaumburg High School community, Little said.
Anyone with helpful information is asked to call investigators at (847) 882-3534.
