Almost three months after Francisco “Frank” Cruz, 58, was fatally struck on his bicycle by a hit-and-run van driver in West Garfield Park, police still haven’t made an arrest. That’s despite the fact that a security camera captured an image of the vehicle that hit him, which was marked with the phone number for a local real estate company.
On October 12 the personal injury firm Disparti Law Group filed the wrongful death suit against Advanced Realty and the unnamed van driver in Cook County circuit court on behalf of Isabelle Cruz. The suit seeks at least $50,000 in damages.
Last week Gordon & Centracchio attorney Joe Ryan told me that Williams is the son of Frank Cruz and his wife, Virgie Burdine. Ryan said he needed to consult with Williams before discussing the case further, and subsequently didn’t return multiple follow-up messages I sent him earlier this week.
Jim Freeman, a personal injury lawyer with the bike-focused personal injury firm FK Law (a Streetsblog Chicago sponsor), said it’s possible that both Isabelle Cruz and Kevon Williams—if he’s Frank Cruz’s son—deserve compensation for Cruz’s death. But Freeman added that determining who gets what portion of any potential compensation could be time-consuming.
John Greenfield edits the transportation news website Streetsblog Chicago.
