Chicago police release photo of SUV that killed woman, 66, in West Side hit-and-run
CHICAGO (CBS) — Chicago police released an image of the SUV wanted in a hit-and-run crash that killed a 66-year-old woman Friday morning as she was walking to work in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood.
Halyan Hudzan was walking to work at a credit union in the 700 block of North Oakley Boulevard around 8:45 a.m., when a 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross hit her while she was in the crosswalk. She was taken to Stroger Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The driver who hit her fled the scene, yet left a bigger void for the tight-knit Ukrainian Village community.
"A gem in our community; she was a true priest's wife," said family friend Phyliss Muryn Zaparaniuk.
Hudzan's husband, Fr. Volodymyr Hudzan, was associate pastor from 2005 until 2018 at St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral. Even after the reverend was transferred to another church in Indiana, the family continued living in Chicago, where Hudzan remained devoted to the church and community,
"She was part of the church choir, and she loved to sing, had a beautiful voice, took part in church activities, always rolled up her sleeves to help," Zaparaniuk said. "It's not just a person, it's a family member, and because our community is so tight-knit, it's even more devasting"
As police continue to search for the driver, on Saturday, they released an image of the red 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross with Illinois plate DH30095.
"I'm still pondering the fact somebody could just drive away," Zaparaniuk said.
Zaparaniuk said witnesses said the driver first hit Hudzan, and after she was already lying in the street, ran over her again. She said this should be weighing on the person responsible.
"Own up to what you did," she said. "If you don't own up to it, you're going to have this on your conscience all of your life. It will haunt you forever."
As police search for clues into the deadly hit-and-run, Hudzan's memory and devotion to her community will never fade.
"She's going to be missed, that's for sure," Zaparaniuk said.
The hit-and-run happened just blocks from the church. Many church members said they now will try avoiding the area where Hudzan was run over because it's so difficult to drive by where she was killed.
Hudzan is survived by her husband, two children, and three grandchildren.
Anyone with information about the vehicle is asked to contact the Major Accident Investigation Unit at 312-745-4521 or submit an anonymous tip at CPDTIP.com, using reference # JJ125483.
The video above is from an earlier report.
