The man who struck and killed a Forest Park woman in a hit-and-run accident in May 2008 will face three to 14 years in prison after his sentencing on Oct. 6.
Kevin Olis, a 41-year-old Oak Park resident, was found guilty on Sept. 3 of two counts of aggravated DUI and leaving the scene of a fatal accident, according to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
In the 2008 accident, 50-year-old Lydia Salmanis was reportedly lying drunk in an alley behind 7301 Roosevelt Road when she was crushed to death by Olis’ van shortly after midnight on May 24, according to 2008 coverage in the Review.
Salmanis reportedly went to the Hideaway, a bar located near the scene of the accident, by herself around 11 p.m. and asked for a glass of wine, the manager told the Review. The bartender refused to serve her, and another employee called for a cab for the woman. Salmanis refused the cab, according to the manager, who later saw her walking the opposite direction from her home.
Salmanis – who had been a village resident for at least 20 years – died less than a half-mile from her Forest Park home on the 1300 block of Elgin Avenue, the Review said.
Dave Petty, the boyfriend of Salmanis at the time, told the Review “she was a really good person.”
“She loved gardening,” he said. “She was a frequent traveler and had visited Mexico and various countries in Europe.”
Olis’ blood-alcohol content was measured at .089 the night of the crime. A motorist is considered intoxicated when their BAC measures .08, according to state law.
