Palatine Boy Killed in Vehicle-Pedestrian Crash Identified

The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the 5-year-old boy who was killed after being struck by a car Monday as Kobe Lewis, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Lewis, who family members said was autistic, was walking alone near his home when witnesses said he stepped into traffic on Palatine Road at 4:15 p.m., according to the newspaper. Lewis lived in the 1300 block of East Palatine Road.

He was hit by a 2006 Hyundai Sedan that had just turned left onto eastbound Palatine Road from Winston Drive, police said. Preliminary reports show the boy was not in a crosswalk and that he walked into the path of the vehicle, according to a Palatine Police Department press release.

Police said they were unsure Tuesday why the boy was walking by himself.

“The STAR (Serious Traffic Accident Reconstruction) Team is still working on reconstruction and follow up formal interviews that will likely continue over the next couple of days,” said Commander Craig Lesselyoung in an e-mail.

The driver of the car, a 53-year-old Bartlett man, was not injured in the crash.

The boy was first taken to Northwest Community Hospital and then by helicopter to Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital with life-threatening injuries. The boy was pronounced dead at 1:38 a.m. Tuesday, according to the news release.

No citations had been issued as of Tuesday morning, Lesselyoung said. The crash remains under investigation.