Story posted Monday, June 8, 2009
Pick-Up Vs. Pedestrian Claims Long-Time Elk Grove Resident
Police work the scene of Friday's collision on Elmhurst Road. (Photo by Bill Bostrom)
By RICHARD MAYER Assistant Managing Editor
The 83-year-old Elk Grove Village woman struck and killed while trying to cross Elmhurst Rd. in Mt. Prospect last Friday was remembered this week as a "very independent person".
Ruthe H. Stathas, 83, of 66 Evergreen St. in Elk Grove, was attempting to cross the southbound lanes of traffic on Elmhurst, just north of Oakton St. on the Des Plaines-Mt. Prospect border, around 1 p.m. June 5. A 41-year-old man from Des Plaines, whose name police are declining to release, was driving a pickup truck in the curb lane when he allegedly did not stop and struck Stathas, police said. The victim was transported to Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village where she was pronounced dead at approximately 1:39 p.m.
Stathas died from multiple injuries and the death is ruled an accident, according to Dave Foley, executive director of the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.
According to Stathas’ son, Paul, his mother was transferring buses to head to the State of Illinois building in downtown Chicago to drop off transcripts for her daughter, Kathryn. Paul said his mother used to work as a court reporter for Cook County for over three decades.
“She was a very independent person,” said Paul. “She was an artist with the Elk Grove Artists Association and was also a member of Rolling Meadows Bible Church.”
An Elk Grove resident since the mid-1950s, Stathas’ funeral will be held this Friday (June 12) at Matz Funeral Home in Mt. Prospect.
As of Monday, no charges against the driver had been filed.
“From the investigation so far, the driver didn’t break any law and we haven’t determined he was speeding,” said a Mt. Prospect police spokesperson. “We also believe drugs or alcohol didn’t play a role in this incident.”
Traffic at Elmhurst and Oakton was re-routed for about three hours.
Speak Out!
Comments are edited first by Journal staff before running in print and appearing online.