Niles boy, 17, fatally struck by SUV while lying in road

NILES, Ill. - A 17-year-old boy is dead after he was struck by an SUV while lying in a roadway early Monday in north suburban Niles.

Just before 2:30 a.m., emergency responders found the critically injured boy lying in the roadway in the 8200 block of West Ballard Road, according to a statement from Niles police.

Angel Mata, from Niles, was taken by paramedics to Lutheran General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Investigators said they believe Mata was already lying in the roadway when he was hit by a 2007 Nissan Xterra traveling east on Ballard Road. The 21-year-old driver told police he didn't realize it was a person he had struck.

Officials said they do not believe the driver was impaired at the time of the accident, and said he is cooperating with the investigation.

The road was closed for about four hours Monday morning during the investigation, but have since reopened.

Authorities said it wasn't immediately clear why Mata was lying in the road. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Niles police investigations division at 847-588-6570.