A photo shows the crash site where a woman was killed by a driver Aug. 28, 2022, on Cicero Avenue at 65th Street.
Provided photo
A speeding Corvette struck and killed a woman in a crosswalk on the Southwest Side over the weekend as it was “showing off” with another Corvette and cutting through traffic, according to Chicago police and a witness.
“Very tragic,” said the witness, who was driving behind the two cars early Sunday at Cicero Avenue and 65th Street. “Very irresponsible of the racers taking an innocent person’s life.”
Meireis Shawman was killed a day before her 41st birthday, according to a police report on the accident.
The driver who hit Shawman told officers he was fleeing a carjacking. But the police report cites witnesses who said the drivers of both Corvettes were racing each other before one of them struck the woman and then collided with a car on Cicero around 1:40 a.m.
One witness told the Sun-Times the driver appeared to be “showing off” to the other Corvette driver. The witness said he was stopped at 63rd Street when the light turned green and the two Corvettes, one red and the other blue, began speeding south and cutting off drivers.
The driver of the red Corvette changed lanes to overtake the blue Corvette and struck a Hyundai at 65th Street. The red Corvette continued into a crosswalk and hit the woman. The driver, a 27-year-old man, was cited for obstructed front windshield and failure to exercise due care with a pedestrian in the roadway.
After the crash, the witness saw a man grab the driver of the red Corvette. The man, who appeared to have been with the victim, “legit threw him into the street light pole,” the witness said. “And quite honestly, I don’t blame him for doing so.”
The witness said the blue Corvette continued without stopping. “Coward didn’t stay a second to make sure the other driver ... was OK. Drove off instantly,” said the witness, who asked not to be named.
The crash happened during a weekend of “street takeovers across the city,” with drivers from Chicago’s underground car scene performing stunts at scattered intersections and at times clashing with police who tried to intervene.
Police Supt. David Brown said Monday morning there was no evidence yet that the accident on Cicero Avenue was related to drag-racing, despite witness statements. “That would be pure speculation at this point, Brown said, saying the investigation was still ongoing.
Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan said the Major Accident Investigation Unit was handling the case and will “use technology” to track the car “that ultimately caused the crash.”
“If there’s any connection, we’ll be able to figure out,” he told reporters. “But we don’t have that connection at this time right now. The investigation is pretty new and ongoing.”
Asked about a traffic crash report that indicates cars were speeding down Cicero ahead of the crash, Brown acknowledged the department has “statements alluding to the speculation that it might have been drag racing.”
Contributing: Tom Schuba
from Chicago Sun-Times - All https://ift.tt/uLIGYPg
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