18-year-old who was a suspect in car break-ins dies after he's struck in Aurora

An 18-year-old Aurora man killed Friday night when hit by an SUV on the city's west side was a suspect in earlier vehicle break-ins police were investigating at the time of the deadly crash, authorities said Saturday.

Demaszjae Miller, of the 800 block of North View Street, was pronounced dead at 9:05 p.m., about an hour after authorities say he was struck by a Chevrolet Tahoe while running across the 1000 block of North Highland Avenue, police said.

The crash occurred as Aurora police officers were searching the area for Miller and two other men suspected of breaking into vehicles earlier Friday night, according to police.

Police Chief Kristen Ziman issued a statement Saturday saying Miller was not shot by police or struck by a police car. Officers were not pursuing the man when he was killed, she said.

"Facts matter, friends. We are so sorry that a life was lost, but I will not allow misinformation to be circulated," Ziman wrote on the police department's Facebook page. "Please keep the family of the 18-year-old in your thoughts as well as the driver of the vehicle. This is a terrible tragedy."

According to police, officers were called at 7:53 p.m. to the 800 block of Taylor Avenue for a report of a vehicle burglary in progress. While responding to the scene, officers saw three men matching the suspects' descriptions standing near a different car on Russell Avenue, a couple of blocks away, police said.

The officers shined their spotlights on the men, leading them to take off running in the backyards on Russell, according to police. The officers got out of their squad and tried to follow the suspects, but they lost sight of them.

A short time later, a witness driving in the area of Indian Trail and Highland Avenue saw two men running across Highland and then a third man emerge and run into traffic, where he was struck by a 2018 Chevrolet Tahoe, according to police.

The Tahoe's driver, a 40-year-old Aurora woman, was cooperative and showed no signs of impairment, said police, adding that charges against her are not expected. She was treated at the scene for a panic attack, but neither she nor her 14-year-old passenger were injured, police said.

The two men with Miller have not been located, police said.

Police said three of Miller's family members were later arrested at the hospital where he was pronounced dead. A woman was charged with battering a police sergeant at the hospital, while two other relatives, an adult male and a juvenile male, were charged after being seen jumping on top of a squad car and shattering its windshield, police said. They were not identified by police Saturday.

The Kane County Accident Reconstruction Team and the Kane County Major Crimes Task Force are working with Aurora police on the investigation.