Nov 3, 2009 10:03 am US/Central
Woman Killed In Hit-And-Run Accident On North Side
Police Search For Offending Car
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Rachel Gilliam, 25, was killed in a hit-and-run crash at Lincoln and Cullom avenues over the weekend. Her picture now appears on this community notice.
CBS
Who hit and killed a 25-year-old woman in the Northcenter neighborhood and drove away from the scene?
Police and neighbors want to know.
A memorial remains at the scene of the weekend hit-and-run at Lincoln and Cullom avenues.
Witnesses say Rachel Gilliam, 25, was hit and killed by the car around 3:40 a.m. Sunday. She was pronounced dead 22 minutes later at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office.
Gilliam, a pedestrian, was struck by a silver-colored Lexus that did not stop and continued south on Lincoln Avenue, according to multiple witnesses.
The vehicle was described further as a four-door vehicle, not an SUV, clean in appearance with possible damage to the front end and outside -- probably left side -- mirror, according to a community alert from police News Affairs. The vehicle's make, license plate and the number of occupants who were in it at the time of the incident is unknown.
Gilliam's landlord told the Sun-Times she lived in an apartment in the 2700 block of North Hampden Court. The Sun-Times also reported that Gilliam worked as a server and bartender at Bowman's Bar & Grill, 4356 N. Leavitt St.
Family and friends described Gilliam as a fun, adventurous world traveler whose spirit led her to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and travel to Uruguay, Argentina and Dubai, among other places.
A Kansas City native who moved to Chicago to attend DePaul University, she could also find joy in simple things closer to home, such as snuggling up to her beloved cat, Stewart.
"Rachel was incredibly generous, loving and willing to do anything for her friends and family," her sister Audrey Gilliam said. "Her fun-loving nature and sarcasm will be sorely missed."
Frank Simone, Bowman's manager and executive chef, said the bar's close-knit staff is devastated by Gilliam's death. The bar shut early Sunday because of Gilliam's death, he said.
He added that staff members are puzzled why Gilliam didn't catch a cab in front of the bar, as she typically did.
Simone and Manuel Smith, Bowman's cook, described Gilliam as energetic and upbeat, a hard-working server who was well known to even casual customers.
Investigators are still looking for the offending driver. They are asking anyone with information to call the police Major Accidents Investigation Unit, at (312) 745-4521.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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