Chicago Sun-Times
April 26, 2013 7:22AM
BY STEFANO ESPOSITO
A 38-year-old man who tried to flee from a gunman early Friday — but instead crashed his car into a West Pullman garage — has died, a source told the Chicago SunTimes.
The victim, who also lived in West Pullman, died at Advocate Christ Hospital, the source said.
Police said the man was getting into his car outside his home in the 600 block of West 117th when a gunman approached and opened fire about 5:45 a.m. The man, whose name was being withheld pending notification of relatives, was shot twice.
The victim had no known gang ties and only some minor criminal history — “nothing of significance,” the source said.
Neighbors said the victim prized his rustcolor 1991 Chevrolet Caprice with the sparkling 24inch silver rims, a car that now sat crumpled under bricks.
“That’s a show car,” said Michelle Grasker, 34. Nona Wilburn, 84, was asleep when she shouted to wake her husband, Daniel, 86, after hearing the crash. Daniel Wilburn at first thought the noise was someone flying over speed bumps in the street, not someone crashing into their garage in the 11600 block of South Lowe.
“The Bible says don’t be surprised — terrible things are going to happen. But it doesn’t say anything about the garage,” said Nona Wilburn.
As Daniel Wilburn surveyed the shattered bricks strewn around his neatly clipped yard with the little fountain, he stared at the parts that he used to repair neighbors’ lawnmowers.
“Young people. They terrible. They living in another world,” he said.
Nona Wilburn said she has grown so worried about her neighborhood of more than 20 years that she rarely ventures out except for church or the grocery store.
But she was pleased the driver had survived the shooting and crash.
“You can get another car and you can get another garage but you can’t get another life.”