An elderly man is in critical condition at a local hospital after being hit by a vehicle in the Edgewater neighborhood yesterday morning. The driver left the scene of the accident and is wanted by Chicago police.

The hit-and-run accident occurred at 5:55 a.m on Tuesday, November 6 on the 6000 block of N. Ravenswood Ave. The area is dominated by dangerous crosswalks including the busy Ravenswood Ave. and Petersen Ave. intersection where the eight-story G & A Senior Residence is located. The intersection is also the future home of the Peterson Metra Station.

The 77-year-old man is currently in critical condition after paramedics took the man to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston. No other information was given about the victim or if he was a resident at the senior complex.

Chicago police did not offer any information regarding the vehicle or driver that struck him. The Chicago police major accidents team is currently investigating the incident.

The Ravenswood-Peterson intersection is a major four-lane thoroughfare for traffic that uses route 14 which connects to Lake Shore Drive via Ridge and Hollywood Avenues. The high traffic street is a an ongoing issue for many pedestrians especially during rush hour as views are obstructed by the overhead tracks and its embankments.

Bright yellow signs that read “Senior Citizens” can be found around the senior housing building on traffic light posts in the area, however other solutions may be needed for the intersection. With the $15 million Metra station to begin construction in 2020, pedestrians at the intersection will increase greatly after completion.

Two Edgewater meetings were recently held by The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) to address traffic concerns in the community due to increased high traffic concerns. Though the Ravenswood-Peterson intersection is just one block outside of the designated Northern Terminus Traffic Study (NTTS), the Metra station will most likely cause extra traffic issues to already crowded roadways.