Skokie, Illinois – A Beach Park man was arrested after allegedly fleeing an I-94 crash that left a pedestrian seriously injured, prompting a multi-day investigation by Illinois State Police.
According to Illinois State Police, Division of Criminal Investigation Zone 1 agents arrested 30-year-old Damian Lopez on charges of leaving the scene of a personal injury crash, a Class 4 felony, and failure to report a personal injury crash, a Class 2 felony.
State police said troopers responded around 4:47 a.m. Feb. 1 to reports of multiple crashes on Interstate 94 near Church Street in Skokie. Investigators allege that during one of the crashes, an occupant exited a vehicle and was struck by Lopez’s vehicle. The suspect vehicle then allegedly fled the scene.
The victim was transported to a nearby hospital with serious, life-threatening injuries, police said.
Illinois State Police stated that special agents conducted a swift investigation and identified Lopez as the driver involved. He was arrested on Feb. 2 and the case was presented to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, where the charges were formally filed.
Lopez was taken into custody and held at the Cook County Jail pending his first court appearance. No additional details about the victim’s condition or the circumstances leading up to the crashes were released.
The charges are allegations only. Lopez is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The incident caused early-morning disruptions along I-94, a heavily traveled corridor for commuters and overnight workers traveling through northern Cook County.
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