A $3,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest of the driver who fatally struck a man Friday night on LaGrange Road in Orland Park and fled the scene.
Issa A. Arabi, 22, of Oak Lawn, was killed after he was struck in the 18400 block of South LaGrange and then was hit a second time by another vehicle.
Arabi was a lifelong resident of Oak Lawn and co-owned a trucking company. He had recently become engaged, according to Patch.
On Sunday, community activist Raul Montes, Jr. spoke to reporters near the accident site.
“I just know that somebody’s seen something,” Montes Jr. told Patch. “Somebody knows something. I’m here as an activist to raise awareness, bring the person or persons who were involved, who hit this man, to justice. What if it was your family member that was a hit-and-run? You’d like anybody to speak up. I’m here to raise awareness, and I want to bring closure to the family.”
Montes Jr. said he was personally offering a reward of $3,000 for any information that leads to an arrest. He said he did not personally know the victim or his family, but spoke with the family ahead of the press conference. Family and friends were not in attendance as they were holding funeral services for Arabi.
“It’s an outrage,” Montes said, of the circumstances behind Arabi’s death. “It’s a tragedy. It’s horrible. What happened to this man is horrendous. It’s unfathomable right now, because we don’t know.”
Orland Park police said Arabi had gotten out of his vehicle about 11:40 p.m. after it had been hit by a car and rolled over. Three other people including his fiancee were in the vehicle but were not injured, Patch reported.
Officers responded to the scene after receiving reports of a traffic crash. Upon arrival, officers located an unresponsive male victim in the roadway. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene several hours later by emergency medical personnel.
Police have identified the car that initially struck Arabi’s vehicle, and are working to determine if charges are warranted against the driver of that vehicle, Patch reported.
According to Patch, charges are not currently anticipated for the second driver who hit Arabi’s body while he was already lying in the roadway. That driver stopped and alerted police.
Detectives are currently reviewing surveillance footage and seeking witnesses who may have observed the incident or have information about the first vehicle that struck Arabi.
“This is a tragic event, and we are doing everything possible to identify and apprehend the individual responsible for this senseless act,” said Orland Park Police Chief Eric Rossi. “We urge anyone with information to come forward and help us bring justice to the victim and their family.”
Anyone with information regarding the incident or person responsible is encouraged to contact the Orland Park Police Department at 708-349-4111.
Tinley Park police assisted in the preliminary investigation. The street was closed for several hours from 179th to 191st while police investigated the incident. It reopened to traffic in the early morning hours on Saturday.