Tsering Dorjee had spent the day Monday helping his brother-in-law find an apartment for his family, due here from India next month.
As it turned evening, Dorjee and Dakpa Jorden went to get food and were crossing the street in the 6400 block of North Maplewood Avenue around 6 p.m. when they were struck by a dark blue Volkswagen that kept on driving, police said.
Dorjee, 44 and the father of three small children, was taken to Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston, where he was pronounced dead at 10:27 p.m. from head injuries, according to the medical examiner's office.
Jorden suffered a broken leg and was taken to the same hospital.
“I don’t know what to do," Dorjee's wife, Kalsang Wangmo. "I don’t know what to do now.’’
"My boys are asking, 'Where’s daddy? Where's daddy?' " she said. They are 6, 3 and 1.
Wangmo said she started getting worried when her husband wasn’t home by 7 p.m. "Normally he comes home before 6:30 p.m," she said.
Wangmo said she called his cell phone several times but got no answer. Finally, the hospital called her at 8 p.m. "They said, ‘Your husband is in critical condition, can you come now,' " Wangmo said, her voice choking with emotion.
She frantically called a relative to watch her boys and got to the hospital before he died. "His eyes were all swollen," Wangmo said, and he could not talk.
As she sat by her husband side, Wangmo said she thought of their children and how she would face life without him. “I don’t know, I don’t know…I have three children,’’ she said, sobbing.
She said her husband had the day off Monday and was helping her brother find an apartment. He has been living with them, and the rest of his family was coming from India to live in Chicago next month.
Dorjee worked in the Cook County Clerk's office and was the president of the Rogers Park Chamber of Commerce.
Wangmo said she and her husband are both from India and went to same high school there. She is from Bangalore, in the Indian state of Karnataka, and her husband was from Himachal in northern India.
While living in India, Dorjee worked for the Tibetan government in exile, according to Lhakpa Tsering, president of the Tibetan Alliance of Chicago. His parents had been born in Tibet.
"It’s very distressing and very disappointing because, in our community, we have very few deaths but they are natural – sickness or old age," Tsering said. "This is the first time a hit-and-run has taken a life in our community.’’
Dorjee had felt strongly about helping other Tibetans. "He is a Tibetan himself and he believes it is very important to help the community," Tsering said. “We feel loss because our community is small -- less than 300 people in Chicago."
Tsering said the Tibetan Alliance of Chicago is planning a prayer ceremony and special gathering to honor him. “He was very active in the Tibetan community because the situation in Tibet is critical,’’ Tsering said. “He really thinks the issues are important.’’
Reuters reported last week that 68 Tibetans have set themselves on fire since March 2011 in protest against Chinese rule over Tibetan regions. At least 56 have died, according to Tibetan rights groups.
Cook County Clerk David Orr released a statement saying Dorjee "was a much-loved member of my Vital Records staff since 1998. Tsering was an incredibly kind soul and dedicated public servant. News of his death this morning brought his coworkers to tears. Our deepest condolences go to his wife, children and family. He will be dearly missed."
The car was described as a dark blue Volkswagen Beetle with the Illinois license plate P121817. Police asked anyone with information to call 312-745-4521.
chicagobreaking@tribune.com
Twitter: @chicagobreaking
Father of 3 killed in West Rogers Park hit-and-run
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Father of 3 killed in West Rogers Park hit-and-run
