Multiple people, including children, were hospitalized after a pickup truck led police on a pursuit that ended in a fiery multiple-vehicle crash in Gurnee Tuesday evening.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call around 5:45 p.m. for a hit-and-run crash in the Grandwood Park area.
The driver reported that a pickup truck had struck his vehicle and the offending driver was possibly intoxicated, Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli told Lake and McHenry County Scanner.
A sheriff’s deputy responding spotted the truck, which was reported to have struck another vehicle.
The truck showed extremely erratic driving and a traffic stop was attempted on the vehicle, Covelli said.
The driver refused to stop and a low-speed police pursuit ensued.
The suspect struck two vehicles at Hunt Club Road and Stearns School Road, causing minor injuries to one of the drivers.
Covelli said the truck became stuck in traffic at Hunt Club Road and Grand Avenue.
Sheriff’s deputies attempted to take the driver into custody but traffic cleared and the suspect was able to continue fleeing.
The truck continued driving erratically down several streets and eventually drove southbound on Milwaukee Avenue.
The suspect entered the intersection at Gages Lake Road and Milwaukee Avenue on a red light, Covelli said.
The truck T-boned a Honda SUV and went head-on, sideswiping another vehicle, before coming to a stop.
Deputies boxed in the truck and took the suspect into custody, Covelli said. He was transported to the hospital for minor injuries.
The Gurnee Fire Department and Libertyville Fire Department responded to the scene.
Firefighters extricated at least one victim from the wreckage and initial reports indicated a victim may have been ejected in the crash. A fire was reported at the crash scene and extinguished.
Covelli said deputies rendered aid to those involved in the crash.
Two children were inside the Honda and were transported to the hospital where they have been stabilized.
Two other occupants in the Honda and the occupant of the third vehicle suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
The Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team (MCAT) was called to investigate the incident as an independent agency due to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office being involved in the pursuit.
Covelli said that when it comes to pursuits, sheriff’s deputies have to make a judgment call and assess public safety.
“Deputies have to make a judgment call and decide if they don’t pursue somebody, are they likely to cause harm to the general public? They have to weigh that with a number of factors,” Covelli said. “[…] the overall goal is to try and ensure no one is injured.”