WICKER PARK — A Bucktown piano teacher and musician is raising money to cover living expenses after a hit-and-run over the weekend left her unable to work.
Monica Rose, 26, was riding her moped on Damen Avenue in Wicker Park Sunday when a car turning onto Le Moyne Street struck her.
“He kind of blew through that intersection … no blinker, no slowing down, just made a really quick left … I guess he didn’t see me,” Rose said. “He kind of like stalled a little bit afterwards, and then he zipped off. So it seems pretty apparent that he was like, ‘Oh, sh-t,’ and then zipped.”
After the collision, Rose said her moped skidded across the intersection and then fell on top of her. Patrons from the ongoing Wicker Park Farmers Market across the street ran over to help, including a paramedic.
After she was helped up, Rose realized she couldn’t walk. She later found out she had a broken right fibula, a “messy break” that will require surgery, meaning she can’t travel to students’ homes for piano lessons.
Rose says she started commuting on a moped in April to get to lessons faster, after biking for many years.
She teaches about 25 students in Lakeview, Bucktown and other neighborhoods, and also performs as an event pianist and electronic musician.
“[It’s] kind of a big bummer. Because we had just got out of COVID and I got a ton new students, I even started teaching at Pulaski [International] School in the neighborhood, doing some group lessons over there,” she said. “It really stinks. I’m going to, of course, offer virtual lessons to everybody. But you know, some people are really not up for that.”
Rose started a GoFundMe this week to cover basic living expenses while she recovers. So far, she’s raised about $1,700 out of her $3,000 goal.
“I’m a freelance artist and piano teacher, I don’t have a ton of security over here. So I’m sure that my bills are going to be a much higher number after the surgery. But you know, this is just something to kind of just help me out and get me started,” she said.
Rose says she was interviewed by police at the hospital Sunday and has spoken to detectives about reviewing video footage of the collision from nearby businesses.
A police spokesperson said Wednesday the hit-and-run was still under investigation and had no other updates.
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