CHICAGO () — A 49-year-old motorcyclist was killed Wednesday night in a fiery crash on DuSable Lake Shore Drive, according to Chicago police.
The collision happened around 11:30 p.m. in the 400-block of South DuSable Lake Shore Drive.
By Thursday, friends and fellow motorcyclists had gathered at The Salt Shed to remember Mehnoosh Hatam, a well-known figure in Chicago’s riding community who died in the overnight crash.
Loved ones identified Hatam as the rider who was killed. Members of Chicago United Riders met ahead of a scheduled evening ride, turning the gathering into a tribute in her honor.
Group members wrote messages on a cross that they said will be placed near the crash site where Hatam lost her life.
Hatam, 49, belonged to Chicago United Riders and founded Illinois Riders Escape, a motorbike crew. Friends said she was a strong advocate for women riders and had a reputation for taking care of others in the motorcycle community.
“Just every single ride that we’ve had with her, every second that we’ve spent with her. She was such an incredible person,” George Nicholson of Chicago United Riders said.
Police said Hatam was riding south near Navy Pier when a 25-year-old woman driving a gray sedan, also traveling south, struck her motorcycle at about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Close friends said Hatam was headed home from work at the time of the crash.
Hatam was taken to Northwestern Hospital, where she died.
“Anytime we were out there on these rides, if something happened, she was the one to pull over and check on you. She would never leave you behind. She always made sure everybody was safe, so it hard to be here without her,” Laura Burnes of Chicago United Riders said.
Fellow rider Mike Dobiga said Hatam had planned to attend the gathering before the crash.
“We know that she was planning on being here tonight, that about ten minutes before that accident, she was talking about her plans to come here. So one of the things we definitely want this ride to be tonight is we want it to be as fun as she expected it to be,” Dobiga said.
Police said the 25-year-old driver was not injured and was taken into custody. Charges and citations are pending.
