Police: Naperville-area man killed after walking in front of car

A 21-year-old Naperville-area man who apparently walked onto a road in front of a passing car was struck and killed early Sunday morning, authorities said Monday.

Richard Schnittker, of an unincorporated area near Naperville, was hit about 12:50 a.m. in the westbound lanes of 75th Street at College Road, Naperville police traffic Cmdr. Ken Parcel said in a news release.

The intersection does not have a traffic signal, and Naperville police Cmdr. Lou Cammiso said a preliminary investigation indicates Schnittker "walked right out in front" of a 2010 Mitsubishi driven by an Aurora man.

Cammiso said the investigation is nearly complete, pending toxicology test results on Schnittker. He said no citations or charges are expected to be lodged against the Mitsubishi's driver, who remained on scene until first responders arrived and was not injured in the crash.

Police and paramedics who responded to the intersection took Schnittker to Edward Hospital in Naperville, where the coroner's office said he was pronounced dead at 1:22 a.m. The coroner's office said Schnittker suffered "massive traumatic injuries," but his cause and manner of death are pending further investigation.

Friends on Monday were posting remembrances on Schnittker's Facebook page of the man they knew as Ricky, a Naperville Central High School graduate and car enthusiast whose profile indicated he also had studied at WyoTech, a training school for mechanics, and had worked at a liquor store and a marketing firm.

Cammiso said Schnittker recently had turned 21, and friends posted "happy birthday" messages to his Facebook timeline as well.

Friend Nick Donato, a College of DuPage student and Naperville Central graduate, described Schnittker as a "gear-head" who loved to listen to music and to laugh - the kind of guy it was easy to get along with.

"He was obsessed with cars," Donato said, "and every time he saw me pull up, he would say, 'Pop the hood' and would just gaze at my engine."

Friend Nate Culberson, another Naperville Central graduate, said he enjoyed longboarding with Schnittker for the past seven years after the two met through a mutual friend.

"He helped me through things no one else could ever help me through," Culberson said. "Ricky was there for everyone no matter what was going on."