Family of man killed in Lincoln Park hit-and-run-crash searching for answers

CHICAGO — Family members of a man killed in a hit-and-run crash in Lincoln Park are speaking out after growing frustrated with the police investigation.

“My brother was a really sweet, very caring person, he was always trying to help everybody,” Marianne Zemil said.

Zemil is the sister of 61-year-old Robert Levin, an avid cyclist and marathon runner who was fatally struck while riding his Bike on Labor Day.

“He would run for charity. He ran for PAWS for many, many years,” Zemil said. “He had just done one in August and if he had been able to run the marathon with team epilepsy, he would have run his 75th marathon.”

At around 7:15 a.m., Levin was riding southbound along Ashland in Lincoln Park when a car, that Chicago police believe was traveling west, hit him near Altgeld Street.

Later that morning, Zemil got a call from a doctor at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center.

“My brother was in the emergency room and that he had been in some kind of accident on his bike and found by someone passing by unresponsive,” Zemil said.

Levin suffered a traumatic brain injury and was taken off life support three days later.

Detectives started working the case, but have not been able to identify the vehicle that hit Levin, despite checking several surveillance cameras on the block, leaving his sister frustrated.

“The quality is bad or they were pointing the wrong way, people’s ring cameras are broken, other places have cameras, but they’re there just for show so it’s a little frustrating that there’s nothing,” Zemil said.

On Wednesday, Zemil and her husband went around posting flyers in the area in hopes of finding someone with information on the crash.

“To feel like I did right by my brother, and found something that resembles an answer, justice,” Zemil said.

Zemil said the loss is especially hard for her, as she had lost her other brother last summer.

Anyone with information on the crash is asked to call CPD Area Three Detectives at 312-744-8263 or dial 911.

Those with information can also leave a tip at CPDtip.com . Tips can be filed anonymously.

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