Man charged with DUI for crash that killed pregnant woman in North Lawndale
CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) - A baby boy was delivered after his pregnant mother was killed in a hit-and-run in the North Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side Thursday night.
Karla Y. Leanos, 26, was crossing the street on foot in the 4200 block of West Ogden about 10 p.m. when she was struck by a dark-colored SUV, according to police News Affairs Officer Jose Estrada and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. Leanos, of the 3000 block of South Keeler, was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 10:25 p.m.
After she was struck, emergency personnel delivered a baby boy, whose condition had stabilized Friday morning, according to a source.
Silvestre Garcia, 22, faces one count of aggravated DUI causing death and one count of leaving the scene of an accident causing death, both felonies, according to a statement from Chicago Police. He was also charged with two misdemeanor counts of DUI and cited for a defective windshield and transportation or possession of an alcoholic liquor in a motor vehicle.
Garcia, of the 2700 block of South Harding, was arrested after he was identified as the driver of the Chrysler, police said. He is scheduled to appear in bond court Sunday.
Raymond Sykes was among a handful of people who rushed to the aid of Leanos.
"I was in the house. I heard a loud noise outside,” Sykes said.
A security camera video from a nearby business shows Leanos beginning to cross Ogden Avenue at Keeler, when she was hit by the speeding car.
"Seen the car going about 70 miles an hour. Hit the lady and she was basically tumbling on the top of the car all the way from over here to that pole over there," Sykes said.
Leanos was thrown nearly 70 yards by the force of the impact.
Another security camera captures her boot flying through the air and landing on the street. Another camera shows just how fast the 2008 Chrysler sedan that hit her was going.
"I was coming up to the light and her body was rolling. It looked like she'd been hurt real bad,” eyewitness Shaniquta Tyus said.
Tyus said a friend of the victim's showed up shortly after the accident.
It was clear Leanos was dead but the friend told paramedics that Leanos was carrying a baby.
"They came and they was working on her and they put the little baby monitor down there," Tyus said.
Fire department paramedics delivered the baby boy in the ambulance as Leanos was rushed to Mount Sinai Medical Center.
No one answered the door at her home a few blocks from the accident scene.
People who live near this mostly industrial corridor along Ogden Avenue say they're not surprised it happened.
"I know that the cars go really fast through here. They're going -- it's about 35 here, they go like 60, sometimes 65,” Frank Torres said.
"It's horrible. On Christmas Eve something like that happening. It's just so sad," Torres said.
The police Major Accidents Investigation Unit is investigating the incident.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.