Off-Duty Police Officer Identified as Driver Who Fatally Struck 9-Year-Old in Neighborhood

A 9-year-old boy in Chicago was struck by a pickup truck while riding his bike in his neighborhood on Wednesday, and the driver was identified as an off-duty police officer, said police.

The 48-year-old officer, who remains unnamed at this time, did not see the boy before he hit him with his Toyota Tundra but stayed on the scene after the crash, according to the Fraternal Order of Police.

The incident took place at about 8 p.m. Wednesday in the West Ridge neighborhood outside of Chicago, where the family told police he was riding home after playing at a friend's house, reported the Chicago Sun-Times.

The boy, later identified as Hershel Weinberger, was transported to the Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston where he died, according to police.

Weinberger's bicycle appeared to have been dragged by the vehicle before it came to a stop, according to local news station CBS17. His parents and neighbors came running when they heard the crash.

Chicago Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara Jr. said that the officer was given a breathalyzer test, which came back negative. The officer was taken to the Swedish Covenant Hospital for additional drug testing.

Police said no citations or charges have been filed, and Catanzara expressed that the officer was "traumatized by this tragic incident."

Weinberger was a twin and had two other brothers, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Baruch Hertz, a rabbi at Congregation B'nei Ruven, said Weinberger "was a loved kid. He was a very nice boy, had a smile on his face at all times...It's a huge shock for the community."

"It's just a tragedy. And any person could be in his shoes. This just happens to be a Chicago police officer," Catanzara told the paper. He added, "Our hearts go out to the family. This officer is certainly never going to forget that. It's sad all-around."

One of Weinberger's teachers, Ruth Wait, told The Chicago Tribune: "He was very energetic, with a sweet smile. He had a lot of fun."

The boy's father, Shamai Weinberger, told the Tribune that he rushed to the scene when he heard the crash. "I held him and did my best," he said.

A GoFundMe page was organized by friends and members of the community for Weinberger's memorial and family, and as of Thursday, it has raised a little over $100,000 of its $150,000 goal.

Funeral services for Weinberger took place with family and friends on Thursday.

The crash is still under investigation by the Police Department's Major Accident Investigation Unit, and the Chicago police have not commented any further.

Newsweek reached out to Catanzara for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.