73-year-old pedestrian dies after she’s struck by car on IL 161 in Fairview Heights

A 73-year-old woman died after she was struck by a car Tuesday night as she was crossing West Illinois 161 near St. Clair Avenue in Fairview Heights.

The woman’s identity has not been released pending notification of her family.

Fairview Heights police officers responded to the report of the accident at 11:26 p.m., according to a release from Police Chief Steve Johnson.

They found the woman lying in the northbound lanes of West IL 161. A car was stopped in the roadway, the release states.

Officers and ambulance crew members performed CPR and other aid on the woman. She was transported to Belleville Memorial Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

According to the release, the preliminary investigation shows the pedestrian, wearing dark, non-contrasting clothes, was struck by the car as it traveled north on West IL 161 near St. Clair Avenue.

“The driver waited for law enforcement to arrive, and investigating officers performed Field Sobriety tests and found the driver to have an alcohol content of 0.00%,” the release states.

No citations have been issued.

“This is a grim reminder about using crosswalks at stop lights,” Johnson said in the release. “There has been a significant increase in people jaywalking because it doesn’t seem to be that serious of an offense, until it is. Safety is inconvenient.

“We send our sincere condolences to the victim’s family.”

Agencies assisting the Fairview Heights police include the Illinois State Police and its accident reconstruction team, Caseyville Police Department, French Village Fire Department and Fairview Heights Fire Department.

This story was originally published December 27, 2023 at 1:25 PM.