'Nothing Stays Hidden': Family Of Oak Lawn Man Killed In Orland Hit-And-Run Wants Answers

ORLAND PARK, IL — The family of an Oak Lawn man killed in a hit-and-run in Orland Park last week is pleading for the driver responsible to come forward.

Issa Arabi, 22, was struck by two vehicles near 184th and LaGrange Road late Friday. Arabi was on foot to seek help, after the vehicle he was driving was struck by another vehicle in the next lane and rolled over. In the car with Arabi were his fiancée Layal Tamimi and her two sisters.

Arabi, Tamimi and one sister escaped from the vehicle, but another sister was trapped inside, Tamimi said.

Uninjured initially, Arabi went to find help.

"This just shows me what kind of person he was, because he said, ‘let me go get help,'" Tamimi said. "He was always a protector, he always loved everybody. He kept everyone happy and safe."

Police said it's not clear how far Arabi was from the crash site when he was first struck by a driver who fled the scene. He was lying on the roadway when he was then hit a second time. That driver was aware they had hit someone and alerted police.

"I ran to him, and I saw him laying there, and I started yelling," Tamimi recalled. "So many people heard me yelling, no one wanted to get out of the car to help me."

Police have continued to investigate in the days since. They have identified the car that initially struck Arabi's vehicle, and are working to determine if charges are warranted. While the family told police they believed that car had been racing a third car next to it, charges would require proof of speed, police said.

Still being sought is the first car that hit Arabi while he was on foot and fled the scene. Charges are not currently anticipated for the second driver, who hit him while he was already lying in the roadway, said Orland Park Police Commander Scott Lefko.

Arabi's services were held over the weekend; the family is still reeling from their loss. Arabi was a lifelong resident of Oak Lawn, commercial truck driver, beloved friend, caring uncle and devoted fiancé.

"Issa’s known as the purest soul around," said best friend Ihab Khatib. "He had such a clean heart. He never wronged anybody. … He would always do what was right, what was better for the other person. He always wanted everything for the benefit of everyone else."

Arabi's sister-in-law Nora Hasan urged the driver who fled to realize the gravity of what they've done.

"He needs to know that the person he hit, was one of the best people that any one of us have ever met in our lives," Hasan said. "... The way he took care of his parents, his older brother. He was an uncle to four; he was the best uncle to all of them. He took care of them, he would be with them the whole time. He would get them ice cream, candy. He would take them out to play in his car. He would do anything for them.

"They lost one of the best thing in their lives. They don’t even know it—they don’t know where he is, and we don’t know what to tell them. He (the driver) did that. He took him from them."

Arabi would not have been on foot if the initial rollover crash hadn't happened, his family said. His fiancee alleges that prior to the initial crash, Arabi saw the other car and beeped to alert them that he was in the lane next to them.

"... even if you have a nice car, that goes so fast, watch where you’re going," Tamimi said, in a plea to the driver who hit their car. "Watch the people around you. Don’t speed. You took someone’s life.

"... Issa never sped up a mile over the speed limit, if he had any of his loves in the car. He would not move an inch incorrectly in the car."

A year ago, Arabi and his brother Rami opened a trucking business. Both had driven commercially for years before that. Khatib also said Arabi was extremely careful on the road.

"He drives for a living," he said. "He stays on the road. As far as driving, and the rules of the road, it's second nature to him."

Arabi and Tamimi were only recently engaged, having celebrated at an engagement party a month prior.

"It was a beautiful party, he was so happy," Hasan said. "He loved her so much. He told me all the time. He would call me all the time, tell me how much he loved her, wanted to marry her. He (the driver) took it all away from them. He took away their future together. He took everything from them. He needs to know that—that will weigh on him for the rest of his life."

Arabi loved soccer—he was a varsity player at Oak Lawn Community High School—and he loved all things Mercedes, Khatib said. He was upbeat, hardworking and selfless.

"His personality was like no other," Khatib said. "There’s not a person in this world that reminds me of him, that acts like him. There was always a smile on his face."

As they wait for answers, Arabi's family and friends hope learning more about Arabi will compel someone to come forward with information. Police are working to obtain and review any available surveillance footage from the area. They've had several tips of the car being an SUV, of varying colors.

"It’s a very in-depth and lengthy investigation," Lefko told Patch.

On Sunday, a Chicago area activist announced he is offering a $3,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest in the incident.

"It’s an outrage," Raul Montes, Jr. said of the circumstances behind Arabi's death. "It’s a tragedy. It’s horrible. What happened to this man is horrendous. It’s unfathomable right now.

". ... Whoever hit this young man, I’m asking today to come forth, turn yourself in. Maybe you were scared or whatever. ... Whether it was an accident or what—have the courage to come forth and turn yourself in. Because right now, this family is mourning, and we want to bring closure to them."

Arabi's family hopes the driver will do the right thing.

"If he doesn’t come clean, he’s going to hold that guilt forever with him," said Tamimi. "He’s always going to think, 'What could I have done differently?'"

"God’s watching," Khatib said. "Nothing stays hidden. It’s better that you be honest with yourself, and with the public."

Anyone with information regarding the incident or person responsible is encouraged to contact the Orland Park Police Department at 708-349-4111.