AVONDALE — A 34-year-old man who died after he was struck by a hit-and-run driver Sunday was "very dedicated to family," his relatives said.
Chris "Guerito" Sanchez was struck as he crossed 3203 N. Milwaukee Ave. just north of Belmont Avenue around 5:20 a.m. He died less than an hour later at Illinois Masonic Medical Center, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.
The silver SUV — possibly a Jeep Cherokee — fled north on Milwaukee Avenue, police said. The vehicle could also have right front damage and a broken headlight.
Police asked the community to help locate the vehicle, and released an image from video surveillance captured near the time of the crash.
Sanchez was a mechanic who lived near the scene of the collision in the 3100 block of North Sawyer Avenue.
"He was always very dedicated to family," Sanchez's cousin, Maria Cartage, told the Chicago Tribune. "It didn't matter what, he was game. He always had a smile, always willing to show up."
According to GoFundMe page set up by his relatives, the family was hit with tragedy last year when his mother died.
"It is a devastating, tragic loss," the page says. Sanchez "was a quiet pensive person that was still hurting with the loss of his Mom and he planned to visit her grave today with his Dad," the page says. "We pray that Chris is now in his Mom's arms and has found rest and peace."
Said one donor, "I know at work he was a sweet person and truly caring."
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