What happened to Perla Andrade? Officials identify Chicago woman killed in Bolingbrook hit-and-run crash

On the morning of Friday, June 23, 28-year-old Chicago woman Perla Andrade was killed in a hit-and-run crash on the I-55 on Bolingbrook. The incident was reportedly caused after Perla Andrade's vehicle ran out of gas. She had exited the vehicle with another passenger to check what was wrong, when she was hit by a semi-truck.

Trigger warning: This article concerns a fatal accident. Readers' discretion is advised.

In the wake of the collision, the I-55 was shut down as authorities carried out a clean up and probed the crime scene. Illinois State troopers also spoke to several witnesses who had been present for the crash. The driver of the semi-truck has not been identified, and the case currently remains under police investigation.

After the accident, Perla Andrade's family started a GoFundMe initiative to raise money for her funeral expenses. The GoFundMe page added that Andrade was a mother to two children.

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Perla Andrade's mother requests driver involved in crash to come forward

The incident occurred in the early hours of Friday, at approximately 3:15 am. ABC noted that according to Perla Andrade's mother, the victim and her friend were traveling to pick up another friend and were going Northbound near route 53. IDOT reported that after the pair exited the car, the unidentified semi-truck driver struck the both of them before promptly fleeing the area.

While Andrade was declared dead at the scene of the collision, the other victim was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries. Officials have not disclosed the passenger's name nor her current status. Fox reported that as investigators inspected the scene, the diversions along the interstate caused a 7-mile back up which stretched all the way to Route 126.

On Friday, hours after the incident, The Will County coroner's office confirmed that Andrade died due to the injuries sustained in the car crash. Authorities are still seeking any sign of the semi-truck driver. In an interview with ABC, Andrade's mother asked the driver involved in the hit-and-run to come forward for the sake of the victim's friends, relatvies and children.

According to Enjuris, in the State of Illinois, authorities recorded approximately 70 hit-and-run cases on an annual basis. In Illinois, involvement in a fatal hit-and-run could qualify as a class 1 felony crime. In a case such as that of Perla Andrade, where the crash results in death, the perpetrator could face license revocation, a $25,000 fine, and up to 3 years in prison.

In Illinois, if a driver is involved in a crash, they are obligated to report it if it involves injury, death, or property damages which exceed $1,500. Enjuris reported that in most cases where drivers don't stop, it is due to intoxication or a lack of vehicle insurance.