Cyclist Dies After Chicago Hit-And-Run Crash, Witnesses Sought

CHICAGO — Detectives are investigating a fatal hit-and-run crash last week in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood that took the life of a local cyclist.

Rick Lomas, 31, of the Logan Square neighborhood, died May 10 from a brain hemorrhage he suffered when he was struck by a car while riding his bike near the intersection of North California Avenue and West Augusta Boulevard, according to his family.

Police said Lomas was riding south in the 1000 block of North California Avenue around 1:45 a.m. on May 7 when he ran a red light and was struck by an unidentified car headed west on Augusta.

"The driver did not stop and fled the scene," a police spokesperson said. "The bicyclist refused [emergency medical services] and left the scene."

Attorney Mike Keating said Lomas' family has retained his firm to investigate the circumstances of his death.

"I would encourage the public not to rush to judgement," Keating said in a television interview.

“The surveillance footage that we’ve seen does not show the color of the light one way or another," he told WGN, which reported the family declined to provide a copy. "We also have no witnesses listed on the police report as to where the police got this information.”

An online fundraiser established after his death to to assist Lomas' widow with hospital and memorial expenses had raised more than $22,000 as of Thursday.

Lomas, a British national working to obtain United States citizenship, suffered a massive brain bleed at home and underwent brain surgery after making it home from the crash, according to the organizer of the fundraiser. He was placed on life support after being found unconscious at home.

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Robert Magiet, who owns the Milwaukee Avenue restaurant The Stopalong, is hosting a memorial event for Lomas' family this weekend. He was one of many in the Logan Square area who hired Lomas to do odd jobs around the neighborhood as he applied for a legal immigration status, friends told Block Club Chicago.

According to the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office, the cause and manner of Lomas' death have yet to be determined.

No description of the vehicle involved was available from police. Anyone with information about the incidents was encouraged to contact Chicago police or the Keating Law Offices.