Logan Square CTA worker killed in Skokie hit-and-run had 'good head on his shoulders,' friends say
Almost daily Carlos Medina would jump on his bicycle and ride to his night shift at the CTA maintenance facility in Skokie where he was an electrical worker.
That's what Medina, 37, of Logan Square was likely doing when two cars fatally hit him, and one fled the scene Tuesday night near the 3500 block of Oakton Street in Skokie, according to Juan Sotomayor, Medina's neighbor of 25 years, and police.
Another neighbor, Lisa Guzman, said she met Medina for the first time in 1987 when her family moved a few houses down from where he and his family lived. Her brother and Medina became close friends shortly after.
“This news came as a shock to all of us,” Guzman told the Sun-Times Thursday. “We grew up together. … My brother really lost his best friend.”
Guzman said everyone who grew up in the neighborhood stayed in contact, though their own lives often kept them apart. The last time she had spoken to him was a few months ago, not long after his dad died earlier this year.
“We all have our own families and all our own lives, but when we would talk, it was just like before,” Guzman said. “He was a nice person, he had a good head on his shoulders.”
Medina was riding his bicycle when he was struck by a vehicle about 10:35 p.m., officials said.
Medina fell to the ground and was hit by a second vehicle that was going east in the outer lane of Oakton Street. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
One of the drivers stayed and waited for police, but the other driver fled the scene, police said. They were traveling in a dark-colored vehicle.
Medina's family is waiting until a finalized police report is released to talk about the tragedy, according to Medina's brother Mario Carrasco.
In a statement Thursday, the CTA — where Medina "dutifully served" for more than a year as an electrical worker — mourned his "sudden and tragic passing." The agency also said grief counseling and support would be available to CTA employees who also worked at the Skokie maintenance facility.
"We extend our condolences to Mr. Medina's loved ones during this difficult time," the statement said.
Sotomayor said while he didn’t know the details of the accident, people need to be more vigilant of cyclists and avoid distractions while driving.
“Carlos was a pretty good bike rider, he’d been doing it for a long time,” Sotomayor said. “It’s a loss.”
Christina Whitehouse, founder of the bicycle safety advocacy group Bike Lane Uprising, said Skokie has become a destination for cyclists in recent years because of well-constructed bike trails. However, it’s a double-edged sword, as the biking infrastructure leading to the trails is missing, making it dangerous for anyone, Medina included, to bike in the area.
“My heart goes out to Carlos’ family and friends because this shouldn’t have happened,” Whitehouse said. “The reality is it’s not really safe to get to those trails. … He definitely won’t be the last bicyclist to die in Skokie.”
Whitehouse said in recent years the cycling community has seen more deaths, which often are not prosecuted, and injuries, which often go unreported, and she expects it to worsen.
“We’re seeing more bicyclists and more egregious driving, with less being done about it,” Whitehouse said. “Years ago we used to talk about critical injuries [when cyclists are hit by cars]. Nobody does anymore, it’s just happening left and right. … It’s just going to keep on getting worse and worse. They’re writing their own destiny.”
Anyone with information on the crime can call Skokie Police at 847-982-5900.
Contributing: Cindy Hernandez