A Schaumburg man has been charged after he fled from police at a high rate of speed, crashed into a gazebo, and then drove into the Fox River near Fox River Grove Wednesday evening, police said.
Jarrail R. Ford-Gresham, 31, of the 2400 block of Creekbend Road in Schaumburg, was charged with aggravated fleeing police, criminal damage to property, driving under the influence of alcohol, driving with a revoked license, reckless driving, speeding 35 mph over the speed limit, improper lane usage and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.
The Fox River Grove Police Department attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a black Mercedes coupe just before 11:40 p.m. Wednesday on Northwest Highway.
Lake County Sheriff Spokesman Sgt. Christopher Covelli said that the Mercedes refused to stop and came upon the intersection of River Road and Lincoln Avenue in Fox River Grove.
The Mercedes, which was traveling at a high rate of speed and driven by Ford-Gresham, continued northbound where it went off the road and struck an unoccupied parked minivan and a firepit.
The Mercedes then drove through a gazebo and a boat lift before driving into the Fox River, Covelli said.
A kayaker reportedly assisted Ford-Gresham from the water and brought him back to shore where police took him into custody.
Covelli said that the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Technical Crash Investigations Unit was called to assist Fox River Grove police.
He said that fire department boats and divers were deployed to the water to begin searching for anyone else who could have been in the vehicle.
The male driving the Mercedes later admitted that he was the only one in the vehicle.
Fox River Grove Police Chief Eric Waitrovich confirmed to Lake and McHenry County Scanner that Ford-Gresham was charged and has since been released from the McHenry County jail.
Ford-Gresham posted 10% of his $20,000 bond and was released Friday morning.
Bruceskis Marine Construction and Recovery, who was called to the scene to remove the car from the water, said that a gun was found in the driver seat.
Waitrovich said that the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office declined to file charges for the recovered gun.