Des Plaines man, 78, dies after being struck by car in crosswalk

A 78-year-old man died Saturday from injuries suffered when he was struck by a car Friday evening while crossing a street near downtown Des Plaines.

Police said Dennis Townsend of Des Plaines was attempting to cross Thacker Street in the crosswalk near Center Street at 5:23 p.m. Friday when a vehicle turning westbound onto Thacker hit him. The driver of the vehicle immediately stopped after striking Townsend and waited for police to arrive, authorities said.

Townsend was taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, where he was pronounced dead from his injuries at 2:05 a.m. Saturday.

Police said an investigation showed that the driver of the vehicle did not see Townsend in the crosswalk prior to the collision occurring. There is no signal at the crosswalk, police Cmdr. Christopher Mierzwa said.

The driver, Mary Wudtke, 73, of Des Plaines was ticketed for failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, police said.