Prosecutors reported that a driver was traveling at 63 mph in a 30 mph zone when he collided with a woman on a three-wheeled motorcycle at a South Side intersection. After the crash, he exited his SUV, inquired if he had killed someone, and left the scene.
Despite these accusations, a Cook County judge decided not to hold him in custody pending trial.
According to court documents, Churone Walls, 48, was halted at the intersection of 79th Street and Hoyne Avenue on the evening of July 24. At that moment, Darryl Short, 45, approached rapidly from behind in a Volkswagen Atlas, exceeding the speed limit. Video evidence revealed Short ignored a stop sign and attempted to pass Walls, but instead, the Atlas collided with her motorcycle.
The collision caused the SUV to become airborne before landing on Walls and her motorcycle. The vehicle continued to move forward, dragging both until it hit a light pole and came to a stop. Walls was thrown from the motorcycle and landed further away.
A witness recounted that Short exited the SUV, asked whether he had caused a fatality, and then walked away. The witness then assisted Walls, who was having difficulty breathing, and she subsequently died.
Another witness, who was driving a CTA bus at the time, also heard Short’s question about causing a death and observed him making a phone call. Shortly thereafter, Short entered another vehicle and departed.
Both witnesses later picked Short out as the driver in photo lineups.
Chicago Police Department obtained a search warrant for the cellphone allegedly left by Short at the scene. Investigators confirmed the phone was registered to Short and noted no 911 call was made from it that night.
Documents revealed that Short obtained his driver’s license in 2024 after a history of driving without one and other traffic offenses dating back to 1999. His record includes felony gun convictions in 2005 and 2007, and cannabis-related convictions in 1999, 2000, and 2012.
Judge Rivanda Doss Beal denied the prosecution’s request to detain Short, allowing him to await trial on charges of reckless homicide and leaving the scene of a fatal accident.
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