Search on for driver who killed cyclist

August 18, 2009 (CREST HILL, Ill.) (WLS) -- Police in southwest suburban Crest Hill are looking for the driver who hit a bicyclist and then drove away. The bicyclist, a man from Joliet, died from his injuries.

The victim's body was discovered just after 11 p.m. Monday night along Route 53 in Crest Hill. A passerby noticed the victim's bicycle along the road and called police.

Police in southwest suburb Crest Hill are looking for the driver who hit a bicyclist and then drove away. The man from Joliet died from his injuries. The victim's body was discovered along Route 53 in Crest Hill. A passerby noticed the bicycle along the road and called police.

It appears the bicycle may have been Dennis Rohde's primary mode of transportation. The 61-year-old may have been heading home at the time of the hit-and-run. Police have not been able to identify the driver, but they have made some progress, determining the make and model of the vehicle, and they are now trying to enlist the public's help to track it and the driver down.

Rohde was riding his bicycle northbound along a stretch of highway 53 when a vehicle hit him and kept on driving.

"The state police received a complaint with reference to a bicycle that was found on the side of the road on Route 53, approximately half a mile south of Division Street. The trooper went out, looked into the complaint in reference to the bicycle and found the 61-year-old man lying off the side of the road," said Sgt. Bradley Hertzman, Crest Hill Police Department.

Rohde was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital in Joliet, where he was pronounced dead shortly after midnight. Investigators used evidence collected at the scene to determine the make and model of the vehicle and are now trying to track it down at nearby body shops.

Police are appealing to the driver to turn him or herself in.

"We believe the motorist does know they did strike someone or something. It is a dark road, however. We are hoping that the driver does turn themselves in and bring a quick close to this case for both the person who passed away and his family," said Hertzman.

Police said they have narrowed their search to a 2008 or 2009 Dodge Caravan with a missing passenger side mirror and fog light. The color of the vehicle is not known, but police are asking anyone who has seen this car to please contact the Crest Hill Police Department.

Get more Local »

local, michelle gallardo

• Comment Now
• Email
• Print
• Report a typo
•