CHICAGO (WLS) — Maria Ochoa’s family, who have lived on the city’s Southwest Side for years, say reckless driving has gotten worse.
And as they plan her funeral, they also want to make sure that nothing like this happens again.
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Engines revved as cars sped by the debris left behind from a deadly crash that killed 84-year-old Maria Ochoa.
On Monday, her family and community rallied at the Garfield Ridge intersection where she died Saturday.
“She was an exceptional woman who ensured our family’s safety,” shared Fernando Ochoa, the victim’s son. “A very kind, loving woman who never hurt anyone, just going for her usual daily walk.”
As Fernando’s family grieves the loss of his mother, they are calling for changes to Laramie and Archer, as well as other streets in their area.
“There are no speed cameras here. Drag racing happens regularly. It’s like the Indy 500 around here. This must be stopped,” said community activist Raul Montes Jr.
The crowd marched their message along the path that Maria would take on her daily walks.
“We know Archer Avenue has a lot of speeding. We know there’s a lot of drag racing. There’s a lot of accidents. We want to prevent those in the future and to make this terrible tragedy have some meaning,” said family attorney Frank Avila.
Chicago police said on Saturday evening, two cars crashed, and as a result, one of the vehicles hit the beloved mother and grandmother, who later died at the hospital.
Police say of the drivers, a 26-year-old man, was issued multiple citations, including failing to reduce speed.
“I don’t want no one to get hurt or another tragedy to happen again. That’s why I’m asking someone to step up, and maybe, by having a camera, it will slow people down,” Fernando said.
The family says they still have several questions for police. Police say detectives are still investigating.
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