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Summit woman awaits trial date for fatal collision

By Bob Rakow
Desplaines Valley News

A trial date for a Summit woman whose car struck and killed a man in front of his Summit home is scheduled to be set on Aug. 21.

Salatiel Mendoza, 46, was killed April 29 when he was struck by a car in front of his house in the 7200 block of 61st Place in Summit. Mendoza was loading wooden boards onto his truck at the time of the accident.

Mendoza was pronounced dead on the scene at 5:55 a.m. about 25 minutes after he was struck, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The driver, Jessica Munoz, 21, also of Summit, appeared to be distracted at the time of the accident, Summit police said.

Munoz appeared in Bridgeview court Tuesday morning accompanied by her attorney, Victor Armendariz.

Armendariz and Summit village attorney Gustavo Munoz agreed to an Aug. 21 status hearing before Judge Patrick Rogers. A trial date will set at that hearing.

Munoz said he will talk to witnesses and prepare for the trial during the weeks leading to the Aug. 21 hearing.

Jessica Munoz, who lives only a few blocks away from Mendoza, was charged with failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and failure to exercise due care, according to police reports.

A charge of driving without insurance was dropped, Gustavo Munoz said. There were no indications that speeding or alcohol were factors, said Summit police Lt. Bruce Koenig.

Munoz was not texting at the time of the accident, police said. A witness at the scene told police she had a cell phone in her hand when she struck Mendoza, police said.

Mendoza’s truck was double-parked as he loaded it, but there was still enough room for a car to go around the vehicle, Koenig said.

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