A sheriff’s deputy was hospitalized with serious injuries after a pickup truck allegedly ran a stop sign in Waukegan and crashed into the squad, which was responding to a 911 call.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office received a call for a battery in progress around 6:10 p.m. Sunday near Green Bay Road and Wadsworth Road in Beach Park.
The offender fled in a vehicle and the victim followed the offender to the area of Lewis Avenue and Yorkhouse Road in Waukegan.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said two responding sheriff’s deputies were traveling southbound on Lewis Avenue with their emergency lights and siren activated.
As the sheriff’s deputies approached Lewis Avenue and Edgewood Road in Waukegan, a Chevrolet pickup truck was traveling eastbound on Edgewood Road.
The Chevrolet, driven by a 59-year-old North Chicago man, did not stop at the stop sign, Covelli said.
The Chevrolet drove directly in the path of the southbound sheriff’s deputies.
The first sheriff’s deputy was able to swerve into the northbound lanes of traffic to avoid striking the pickup, Covelli said.
The second sheriff’s deputy was unable to avoid hitting the Chevrolet and struck the pickup’s front driver’s side.
The sheriff’s deputy was transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
She remains hospitalized as of Monday morning.
The driver of the pickup truck was transported to Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan with non-life-threatening injuries.
Covelli said that the driver of the pickup reported the last thing he remembered before the crash was opening a beer.
The Waukegan Police Department is investigating the crash and any possible charges.
“One of our sheriff’s deputies was seriously injured in a crash because a thoughtless individual felt it was more important to drink a beer while driving, putting everyone on the roadway at risk, instead of driving safe,” Sheriff John D. Idleburg said.
“We say it time and time again, don’t drink and drive. We are all wishing our deputy a speedy recovery,” Idleburg said.