‘He was a really good guy’: Man killed in crash on way home from work; 1 in custody
CHICAGO – A man was killed in a violent hit-and-run crash as he was coming home from work late Thursday night on the city’s south side.
The crash happened around 11:58 p.m. in the 8300 block of South Kedzie in the Ashburn neighborhood, just blocks from where the victim lived.
Family members identified the man killed as 25-year-old Raul Palacios, a loving brother, uncle, and friend.
“He was a really good guy,” said Edgar Cabrera. “Every day he was going to work, come back, play video games, that was his life.”
Cabrera called his brother a ‘noble’ person and said he worked hard and enjoyed spending time with his family. He arrived home from work around the same time and saw the police activity at the intersection from a distance but did not find out until later it was his own family member.
“It’s like a nightmare, you know,” said Cabrera. “Yesterday he was playing with my little boy and then he goes out, he says bye, and now, he never comes back.”
According to the Chicago Police Department, the driver of a stolen black Jeep traveling in the southbound lanes of Kedzie hit the white sedan driven by the victim, who was heading westbound on 83rd St.
Surveillance video from Starlight Restaurant captured what appeared to be the sound of gunfire approximately 15 seconds before the crash. The suspect vehicle then comes into view with its lights off, passing through a red light at a high rate of speed, and hitting the victim.
“I saw the video and I don’t think, you know, I’m prepared to show it to my mom right now,” said Cabrera. “It’s hard to watch.”
Video from the crash shows both vehicles slam into the Starlight Restaurant, which sustained heavy damage to its storefront. According to CPD, three male suspects took off on foot after the crash and one person was caught and taken into custody.
“All of a sudden I heard a car screeching and a big bang,” said a woman who lives nearby. “I wasn’t sure where it was, but the police arrived pretty quickly so I was able to see that it was here on the corner.”
Palacios was pronounced dead at the scene, investigators said.
The suspects reportedly tried to jump a nearby fence, leaving behind blood, neighbors said.
As police search for two other suspects that bailed out of the stolen SUV, Palacios’ family is pleading with anyone who has information, to come forward.
“I know it’s not going to bring my brother back, but we just want justice,” said Cabrera. “We can’t have the people on the street driving like animals. We don’t want them to kill another innocent life.”
Chicago police said Area One Detectives continue to investigate the crash. Anyone with information should give police a call or submit a tip anonymously at CPDTip.com.
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