Police searching for driver in hit-and-run that killed two pedestrians on Illinois 15
A vehicle hit and killed two pedestrians crossing Illinois 15, northwest of Interstate 255, in Cahokia Heights on Sunday night.
Police have positively identified a deceased 55-year-old male, and they think they’ve identified the other pedestrian as a 51-year-old female, but they’re still trying to confirm, according to Sgt. Chris McGinnis. They aren’t releasing their names until family members have been notified.
“It looks like the vehicle stopped, and the driver got out of the vehicle and walked away,” McGinnis said Monday.
Cahokia Heights police are investigating.
The pedestrians were crossing Illinois 15, also known as Missouri Avenue, just southeast of Pocket Road, about 7:20 p.m., when they were hit by a silver BMW going northwest toward East St. Louis, McGinnis said. The man and woman weren’t at an intersection or in a crosswalk.
The BMW is registered in Missouri, but police believe the owner recently sold it, McGinnis said. The vehicle hadn’t been reported as stolen.
“If the driver would have stopped, they wouldn’t have been charged with a crime, I don’t think,” McGinnis said. “It was dark out there, and (the pedestrians) were walking across in the middle of the road. But when you leave, it becomes a crime.”
McGinnis noted that it’s a Class 1 felony to leave the scene of an accident involving a death in Illinois.
The male pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene, McGinnis said. The female was transported to a hospital, where she died.
St. Clair County County Coroner Calvin Dye Sr. couldn’t be reached for comment on Monday.
This story was originally published December 16, 2024 at 2:12 PM.
