As Chicago police look to crack down on illegal street racing, a 40-year-old woman was killed near Midway Airport by a vehicle that careened out of control on Cicero Avenue over the weekend.
According to police, Shawman Mereis was visiting Chicago with her boyfriend and was on her way to dinner in the 6400 block of South Cicero at approximately 1:30 a.m. Sunday when two Corvettes came speeding toward the couple.
Police say that one of the Corvettes slammed into another vehicle and then careened toward Meireis, who was in a crosswalk at the time of the crash.
Meireis was taken to an area hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.
Andrew Preissing, a friend of Shawman’,s said that she was visiting the city from Florida.
“She was a pillar of light for us,” he said. “People are so unaware of the dangers of driving recklessly.”
Police have not definitively ruled that the two cars were engaged in an illegal street race, with Supt. David Brown saying that the investigation remains ongoing, but eyewitnesses told the Chicago Sun-Times that the cars were revving their engines at a street light just prior to the crash, and that they were overtaking one another as they sped down Cicero Avenue.
Local
“If people had followed the laws and obeyed the rules, she would still be here. She would be celebrating her birthday today,” Preissing said.
According to friends and family, Monday would have been Meireis’ 41st birthday.
Her death comes as Chicago authorities look to crack down on illegal street racing. Takeovers at various intersections were reported by police over the weekend, with spectators clashing with officers and damaging vehicles during several heated confrontations.
Brendan Deenihan, chief of detectives for Chicago police, said that the department will “use technology” to track down the vehicle that caused the crash that claimed Meireis’ life.
The Chicago City Council last month passed an ordinance that will fine illegal street racers up to $10,000, and could result in fines for owners of vehicles, even if they aren’t driving the car.
Police have also set up a caravan task force, working to track posts on social media and to use large trucks to block streets and intersections.
