A Navy veteran was hit and killed by a truck while changing his tire on the shoulder of a Chicago freeway Sunday night.
Nikolas Hutto, 28, was on his way to get pizza after a Blackhawks game with friends when his car hit a pothole and suffered a flat tire.
He stopped on the right shoulder of I-55 near Cicero Avenue and Garfield Ridge and got out of the car with his friends to change the tire around 6:40 p.m.
While they were doing so, a truck, which was driving on the shoulder, pounced on them and ran over the three of them.
Nikolas died on impact and his two friends were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The truck driver was also taken to the hospital.
“Years ago I was worried that I would have to feel this way, but now it’s happened,” said Jeffery Hutto, Nikolas’ father. ABC 7Chicago.
Nikolas Hutto, 28, was on his way to get food after a Blackhawks game Sunday night with friends when he was hit by a pickup truck on I-55 in Chicago.
Nikolas died and his two friends were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the truck was also taken to the hospital.
The driver of the pickup truck has not yet been identified and it is unclear why he drove on the shoulder that night.
Illinois State Police told DailyMail.com that the crash is still being investigated and that only “preliminary information” is available for now.
Nikolas’ friends, who were visiting him from Florida, were released from the hospital on Monday.
Nikolas’ family members said he had just moved to Chicago’s southern suburbs a few months ago after retiring from the service in 2020.
He joined the Marine Corps in 2015 after high school and served in the Middle East. He was honorably discharged as a sergeant in 2020.
“He was satisfied walking away from it. He felt like he accomplished what he set out to do while he was there,” his mother, Tammy Hutto, told Chicago Sun Times.
Once he left the Marine Corps, he got a job in the information technology field and set out to earn his master’s degree at Penn State University.
He moved from Tampa, Florida to Tinley Park in November after he and his girlfriend, Monica Czajkowski, bought a house together in September.
“I was worried I would have to feel this way years ago, but now it’s happened,” Jeffery Hutto, Nikolas’ father, told ABC 7 Chicago.
He moved from Tampa, Florida to Tinley Park in November after he and his girlfriend, Monica Czajkowski, bought a house together in September. His father said he was just “weeks away from proposing”
He joined the Navy in 2015 after high school and served in the Middle East. He was honorably discharged as a sergeant in 2020.
His father told ABC 7 Chicago that Nikolas was just “weeks away from proposing” to Monica.
On Monday, Monica posted a photo of her and Nikolas and said, “Heaven won the sweetest angel.”
Nikolas was one of six children and was the first to enlist in the army. After him, three of his brothers joined the service.
‘Nik was the man. If you have questions, he was the one you asked. “Everyone who knew Nik loved him,” Tammy said.
Jeremy Eckert, one of Nikolas’ friends from the Navy, recalled some of his fondest moments with him.
“I’ll always remember every time I hugged him, every time we slept in the same room in the barracks, and it’s an honor to know him,” Eckert said.
TO GoFundMeCreated by another friend, Matthew Kahl, it was created in honor of Nikolas.
‘Nik was the man. If you have questions, he was the one you asked. Everyone who knew Nik loved him,” said Tammy Hutto, Nikolas’ mother.
Nikolas was one of six children and was the first to enlist in the army. After him, three of his brothers joined the service.
Donations are planned to go to his family and girlfriend “at this very worrying time” and, as of Wednesday morning, more than $13,000 had been raised.
“Nikolas was motivated not only by his professional career but also by his inherent dedication to self-improvement,” Kahl wrote.
His friend also mentioned that although Nikolas went to Penn State, he was a “hardcore” Michigan fan.
‘Nikolas was the embodiment of a perfect son, brother and friend. “Nikolas was taken from us too soon and we will never forget him,” Kahl added.
His father said he and his family have been overwhelmed by the support they have received following his son’s death.
‘I am overwhelmed and humbled by the support our friends from all corners of our lives have given us. Without all this support, we would be a disaster,” he said.