A Chicago man found dead in Franklin Park Saturday had been dragged about 500 feet underneath a truck, police say.
Artemio Pacheco-Gallegos, 24, of the the 3100 block of South Komensky Avenue in Chicago, was pronounced dead 5:14 a.m. Feb. 6 in the 11100 block of Franklin Avenue, near Wolf Road, early Saturday morning, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.
Franklin Park detectives, who were helped by Cook County Sheriff’s police in the investigation, believe Pacheco-Gallegos had left his job at Franklin Park at 1 a.m. and returned to pick up his vehicle around 4:20 a.m. that morning.
Police believe that for some reason, Pacheco-Gallegos got underneath a truck in the parking lot of the company where he worked, police said. While Pacheco-Gallegos was still underneath the truck, a driver entered the vehicle and drove out of the parking lot area to go make deliveries.
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The driver was unaware that a man was underneath the truck as it left the area, police believe. Pacheco-Gallegos was dragged approximately 500 feet, police say. Two other motorists later found Pacheco-Gallegos’ body on the road and called Franklin Park police.
Upon arrival, the responding officers said they found a man laying on the ground with torn clothing and injuries to his head and lower torso.
The driver of the truck, when later questioned by police, said he was unaware Pacheco-Gallegos was under his vehicle when he began driving.
An autopsy conducted Sunday ruled Pacheco-Gallegos’ death to be accidental, due to multiple blunt force injuries from being a pedestrian hit by a motor vehicle, Cook County Medical Examiner’s office spokeswoman Becky Schlikerman said.
The truck driver had submitted to blood and alcohol testing, police say. The test results were still pending as of Monday morning.
Franklin Park police say they’re waiting for the Cook County Medical Examiners’ final report on Pacheco-Gallegos’ cause of death and said their investigation was ongoing.
Alex V. Hernandez is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.