Chicago Woman Charged In Connection With Death Of Bicyclist: Police

CHICAGO — A 30-year-old Chicago faces multiple charges, including reckless homicide, after police said she struck a bicyclist with her car in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood and kept driving, police said Tuesday.

Courtney Bertucci was arrested in Addison on Monday nearly two months after police said she struck and killed a 42-year-old bicyclist in the 900 block of West Madison on April 16.

Bertucci was charged with one felony count of reckless homicide, one felony count of failure to report an accident, and a felony count of possession of a controlled substance, police said. She was arrested by the Great Lakes Regional Task Force on Monday and was identified as the person involved in the accident that killed the bicyclist.

Police said that Bertucci hit Paresh Chhatrala with her car after she swerved to avoid hitting a metal plate in the street. She hit the bicyclist head-on and then kept driving, police said. Police said that witnesses stopped her a block after the accident took place and that she was being held against her Volkswagen Jetta.

NBC Chicago reported that Bertucci was initially charged with possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia as well as operating an uninsured vehicle. She was also cited for striking a pedestrian and, according to the police report, police officers discovered empty baggies of heroin in her car.

Bertucci was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.