BUCKTOWN — A 42-year-old skateboarder is in critical condition after a hit-run driver slammed into him early Friday morning, police said.
The victim, who was not identified, was riding a skateboard in the 1700 block of North Milwaukee Avenue at about 2 a.m. Friday when he was hit by a southbound Dodge Neon, a Chicago Police Department spokesman said.
The skateboarder was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition following the incident.
The car drove off after the crash, leaving the victim lying in the street, police said.
An officer stationed in a cruiser near the crash responded to the scene and found witnesses who pointed out the Neon as it drove away, according to police.
The driver of the Neon was pulled over on the 2100 block of North Avenue and taken into custody, police said. The driver was being questioned and was expected to be charged, police said.
News about the injured skateboarder did not surprise Bucktown resident Kristi Pfluger late Friday morning.
Walking along the stretch of Milwaukee where the man was injured, Pfluger said the road was known to be hazardous among area residents.
The bike lanes are sandwiched too tightly between street parking and car lanes, she said, adding that a fading left-turn lane at the corner of West Wabansia and North Milwaukee avenues is confusing as well.
"It throws people off," she said. "Look at what you can't see."
