Lockport Man Killed in Hit and Run: Police

The Will County Coroner’s Office has identified the victim of a hit and run in Rockdale as 31-year-old Daniel Lietke of Lockport.

Will County Sheriff’s police said Lietke was struck and killed while lying in the roadway just before 11 p.m. on northbound Larkin Avenue near Mound Road. He was pronounced dead at 1:15 a.m., the Will County Coroner’s office reported.

According to Deputy Chief Ken Kaupas, two witnesses reported that the victim was lying in the street prior to being hit.

The driver of the vehicle, a silver Chrysler Pacifica, reportedly kept driving after hitting the Lietke. Kaupas said the vehicle was stopped by Joliet police and the driver and front-seat passenger were taken in for questioning.

Kaupas said there was no indication that Lietke was struck by another vehicle prior to the fatal hit and run, and it’s unclear why he was lying in the road.

“Apparently alcohol played a role in this,” Kaupas said. “We won’t know to what extent until we get toxicology [results].” That could take several weeks, Kaupas said.

As of Tuesday morning, police were not releasing the driver’s name, and charges had yet to be filed in connection with the incident. The passenger was arrested on an in-state warrant for failure to appear in court on an unrelated charge, Kaupas said.

“It’s a very dark stretch of roadway,” Kaupas said, adding that police are working to determine whether the driver was able to see the victim.

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