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Girl, 7, Struck And Killed By Tractor In Englewood

By  Alex Nitkin and Evan F.  Moore | May 27, 2016 9:59am | Updated on May 27, 2016 8:54pm

 The girl was crossing the street with her mother in the 6500 block of South Ashland Avenue, police said.
The girl was crossing the street with her mother in the 6500 block of South Ashland Avenue, police said.
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Regina Mayden

WEST ENGLEWOOD — A 7-year-old girl died after being hit by a tractor in Englewood Friday morning, police said.

Around 7:45 a.m., the girl and her mother were crossing the street "against the signal" in the 6500 block of South Ashland Avenue when a truck struck the child, according to Officer Ana Pacheco, a Chicago Police Department spokeswoman.

The girl was brought to Comer Children's Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, Pacheco said.

The girl was identified as Samyra Lee, a student at Providence Englewood Charter School: Ralph J. Bunche Campus, which is near where she was killed, school officials said.

"It is with deep sadness that I inform you of the death of Samyra Lee, one of our first grade students," principal Angela Johnson-Williams wrote in a letter given to school families Friday. "She was involved in a tragic incident this morning.

" ... For those of you who knew Samyra, we ask that you remember and celebrate her smile. For all of us, please wrap your prayers and heartfelt sympathy around Samyra's family."

The driver of the tractor will likely be issued tickets, Pacheco said. News reports indicate he was a subcontractor working on a city project.

Regina Mayden lives across the street from the school. She told DNAinfo that she saw the incident take place.

"It looked like it wasn't the man's fault. He tried to avoid her because he ended up in the turning lane," Mayden said. "The way he turned, he was trying to avoid her."

Mayden said there are never any crossing guards at that corner. 

"These children have to deal with the light sometimes, it's extra long. They have to push the button to stop the traffic and get across the street," Mayden said. "A lot of people do what that lady did with her daughter this morning" by crossing against the light.

An aunt of Samyra's, who did not want to be identified, told DNAinfo that the family has no comment at this time. The aunt said the family is still in mourning over the death of Marvin Lee, a cousin of Samyra who was murdered in a Grand Crossing tavern in April. 

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