Niles woman dies after grandson accidentally hits her with minivan

A 79-year-old Niles woman was killed Saturday night after her teenage grandson accidentally hit the gas pedal of her minivan and struck her, police said.

Kuem S. Cho died at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, where she was transported after officers responded at about 9 p.m. Saturday to a parking lot in the 9200 block of North Maryland Street for a report of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle, Niles police said in a news release.

Cho had given the keys to her 2005 Chrysler minivan to her 13-year-old grandson so he could help her in placing the vehicle into gear, police said.

She was walking up to the driver's side door, which was open, when the teen shifted the vehicle into reverse with his foot on the gas pedal instead of the brake pedal. The vehicle backed up with the driver's side door open, striking Cho, police said.

The Cook County medical examiner's office ruled the death an accident Sunday, listing multiple blunt force injuries as the cause. The investigation is ongoing, police said.