In a steady downpour Wednesday night, tears flowed freely as the family of an 18-year-old man killed in a hit-and-run crash mourned his tragic death.
That man, identified as Tony Tlahuel by authorities, was crossing Lake Shore Drive near Buckingham Fountain on Tuesday night when he was struck and killed by a black Range Rover SUV, according to authorities.
The driver of the vehicle later ditched the SUV under Michigan Avenue, and has not been seen since.
“He was a few steps away from his siblings, who were waiting for him at Buckingham Fountain,” Tlahuel’s aunt Anna Vasquez said.
The young man’s family gathered in Broadview on Wednesday night to mourn his passing, and they spoke glowingly of a young man who had big dreams in his life.
“He was a good soccer player, a guitarist, and he was super athletic,” his uncle Jesus Vasquez said. “He was so full of energy.”
Tlahuel had dreams of becoming a pilot after he finished his high school degree over the summer, according to family members.
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Now, the young man’s family is left to wonder what could have been, and they say that their focus is on finding the hit-and-run driver who ended his life prematurely.
“Just step forward and take responsibility for what you’ve done,” his uncle Adiel Daman said.
Police are still working to identify a suspect in the case.
