An early morning smash-and-grab Thursday at the Louis Vuitton store in the Gold Coast led to a major, multi-vehicle crash on the Magnificent Mile during morning commute, leaving an innocent bystander killed after one of two getaway cars smashed into another vehicle.
The incident began just before 5 a.m., when a group of people used a pick-up truck to smash into the store, in the 100 block of East Walton Street, police said. Cell phone video captured by an NBC 5 photographer at the scene showed multiple people running in and out of the store carrying merchandise as cars honked and drove by. Glass from doors and windows could be seen shattered on the sidewalk.
At least nine suspects then fled the scene in multiple vehicles, police said, leaving the pick-up truck behind.
One of the getaway vehicles driven by a suspect, a Kia Stinger, fled southbound on Michigan Avenue and struck a Honda CRV heading eastbound at the Ohio intersection.
According to police, the driver of the Honda, believed to be a man in his 40s who was not involved in the burglary, was transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Five suspects inside the Kia were placed into custody and transported to nearby hospitals, all with non-life threatening injuries, police said.
Photos and video from the crash showed two heavily damaged vehicles, with at least one flipped over onto its side. Michigan Avenue between Ontario and Illinois was closed for hours as officials worked to investigate.
“This is a huge scene,” NBC 5 traffic reporter Kye Martin said, of the crash, as road closures continued.
An additional getaway car, an Infinity Q50, also fled the burglary scene, driving southbound on Lake Shore Drive. Officers then saw the vehicle lose control and watched four suspects flee the car on foot.
According to police, officers located two of the suspects who fled, and placed them into custody.
Stolen goods found inside both the Kia and the Infinity and were recovered, police said.
As of 11 a.m., an active investigation remained ongoing, police said.
Want more insights? Join Working Title - our career elevating newsletter and get the future of work delivered weekly.
