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Mother Of 8 Killed By Hit-And-Run Driver In North Lawndale

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A South Side community is in disbelief after a mother of eight was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver overnight in North Lawndale.

Anne Johnson leaves behind six sons and two daughters, the youngest just 9 years old.

Chicago police say the driver's been arrested, but Johnson's loved ones say the damage is already done.

Corderlo Robeson is the oldest of Johnson's children.

"She was a loving person," he said. "[She] wanted us to be the best we could be."

But Saturday morning, Robeson and his siblings lost their greatest supporter in a tragic way.

Robeson said his mother was on her way home but never made it. The 51-year-old was struck and killed by a black sedan while walking near 16th and Homan.

Chicago police arrested the driver two blocks away after they tried leaving the scene of the crash.

Neighbors say Johnson loved animals, including her own dog Sugar who she would regularly take for walks.

"Everywhere you see Anne, you see Sugar," Rosalind Walker said.

Sugar and Johnson's children are now forced to continue on without her.

"I feel for the kids. What are they going to do now?" neighbor Timothy Dixon said.

If you ask Johnson's oldest son, they're going to keep pushing to be the best they can be because that's what she would have wanted.

"We've got to keep her memory going," Robeson said.

Besides her eight children, Johnson also leaves behind a husband and several grandchildren.

Police say charges are pending against the driver.

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