Man Sentenced to 24 Years for Intentionally Running Over Woman in River North
A judge handed down a 24-year prison sentence to Edgar Roman, 29, for deliberately running over and killing a woman in front of her daughter in River North four years ago. Roman pleaded guilty to murder with intent in connection with the incident that took place at State and Hubbard streets in August 2020. Judge Diana Kenworth ordered Roman to serve the full 24-year sentence.
Zoraleigh Ryan, 55, and her 20-year-old daughter were visiting Chicago and had taken an Uber to have dinner at Chicago Cut steakhouse on North LaSalle. On their way back to the hotel, they attempted to stop at a closed 7-Eleven due to looting damage from the previous night. When the elder Ryan didn’t want to walk any further, they decided to call another Uber to take them back.
While crossing Hubbard on State Street, the younger Ryan noticed Roman’s SUV speeding towards them. Roman made a wide right turn onto Hubbard, veering into oncoming traffic and striking both women in the crosswalk. The impact threw them to the northeast corner of the intersection.
Zoraleigh remained by the curb, injured but alive, while her daughter sustained a broken wrist and abrasions. A bystander rushed to help Zoraleigh, who was still conscious and in pain. Roman allegedly parked his SUV nearby, approached within ten feet of Zoraleigh, and then left the scene.
As the daughter yelled for the bystander to take photos of Roman and his license plate, Roman returned in his SUV and accelerated down Hubbard Street, aiming directly at the victims. The bystander managed to move the daughter out of harm’s way, but Roman ran over Zoraleigh, dragging her body for a half-block before she was freed.
Zoraleigh’s daughter and the bystander stayed by her side as Roman fled the scene. Police pursued Roman, who evaded them by crashing through barricades near the Merchandise Mart. However, CPD’s license plate reading technology tracked his SUV to the Northwest Side.
When Roman walked into a local police district claiming to have been carjacked, officers found his SUV near the Kennedy Expressway. During questioning, Roman initially stuck to his false carjacking story but eventually confessed to hitting the victims. Both Zoraleigh’s daughter and the bystander identified Roman in photo line-ups.
Roman will be eligible for parole in August 2044 after receiving credit for time served. The tragic incident serves as a reminder of the importance of accountability and justice in cases of intentional harm.
