Reckless homicide charge in death of Karonda Hill-Meyers, pedestrian killed by hit-and-run driver in Lawndale

Jeff Mayes — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 14:30:36 -0600

By JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Jesse Gather | Cook County Sheriff's Dept.

A woman fatally struck by an SUV last week while crossing a street in the West Side Lawndale neighborhood has been identified as a 35-year-old South Side resident Karonda Hill-Meyers.

About 6:30 p.m. Feb. 1, a Chevrolet Trailblazer was southbound in the 1300 block of South Kedzie when it struck the woman, who was walking in a crosswalk, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

The driver of the SUV, 48-year-old Jesse Gather, drove off after the crash, but was arrested less than a half-mile away in the 3400 block of West Douglas, police said.

Hill-Meyers was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital and pronounced dead at 7:33 p.m., authorities said. An autopsy Thursday found the Englewood resident died of multiple injuries from being struck by a vehicle, and her death was ruled an accident.

Hill-Meyers, married with a 9-year-old daughter, was walking to the store when she was struck, according to family members. The family has set up a GoFundMe page to help with funeral expenses.

"We will miss her sense of humor and her witty laugh. She wasn’t selfish at all. Anyone that encountered her loved her warm and loving personality. She was taken from us too soon," a family wrote on the GoFundMe page.

Gather was charged with felony counts of reckless homicide and leaving the scene of an accident, and a misdemeanor count of reckless driving, police said.

Gather, of the 700 block of South Kedzie, was ordered on a $300,000 bond Saturday, according to police and the Cook County sheriff’s office. He is next scheduled to appear in court Feb. 22.

Jesse Gather | Homicide Watch Chicago

Reckless homicide charge in death of Karonda Hill-Meyers, pedestrian killed by hit-and-run driver in Lawndale