A West Side man was charged Thursday with leaving the scene of the fatal accident that killed an 11-year-old girl earlier this week.
Carlos Rubio, of the 2300 block of West 18th place, is accused of driving away after running down Itali Hinton with his van Tuesday night.
Hinton -- described as an "angel" by her father -- was struck and briefly dragged by a white van on the 3900 block of South Lake Park Avenue around 6 p.m. Tuesday. She was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital at the University of Chicago where she was pronounced dead.
"She was a very smart girl. She looked both ways and waited for the light to change before crossing," Derek Hinton told the Chicago Sun-Times. "But the driver blew straight through the red light."
Witnesses said the 67-year-old Rubio got out of the van momentarily, but got back in a sped away. They noted the van's license plate, and the vehicle was found with a damaged bumper four hours later in the 1800 block of South Western, in Pilsen.
Rubio's family members said Thursday that he fled because he thought the witnesses that had gathered would harm him.
"A lot of them were coming to attack him," his estranged wife, Maria Rubio, told the Chicago Tribune.
Rubio is expected at a bond hearing Friday.
