A vehicle led police on a high-speed pursuit that briefly entered Lake County before soon ending in a major multi-vehicle crash that critically injured the suspect in Kenosha Saturday.
The Pleasant Prairie Police Department said they were involved around 3:20 p.m. Saturday in a pursuit that resulted in a serious vehicle crash.
Pleasant Prairie officers were notified of a silver Jeep SUV in Lake County traveling northbound on Sheridan Road approaching the Illinois-Wisconsin state line.
The vehicle was involved in a pursuit with the Pleasant Prairie Police Department just two days prior when the agency was conducting a follow-up on suspects from a retail theft case.
Pleasant Prairie officers located the Jeep and attempted a traffic stop near the 11600 block of Sheridan Road.
The vehicle failed to stop and accelerated away from officers, resulting in a vehicle pursuit, police officials said.
The Jeep turned the opposite direction and went southbound on Sheridan Road back into Winthrop Harbor.
The pursuit was terminated when officers lost visual of the Jeep in Winthrop Harbor.
The Winthrop Harbor Police Department reportedly attempted to stop the car and it fled before being located by Pleasant Prairie officers a short time later.
The Jeep was traveling northbound on Sheridan Road back in Wisconsin at a high rate of speed, police officials said.
Spike strips were successfully deployed near the 10400 block of Sheridan Road, resulting in several tires being deflated on the vehicle.
Police officials said officers pursued the vehicle northbound and the chase ended when the vehicle struck an electrical pole in the 8000 block of Sheridan Road in Kenosha.
The Jeep also struck two other vehicles but no injuries were reported by those occupants. The Kenosha Fire Department responded to the scene.
The driver, Gil O. Melendez, 39, of Kenosha, Wisconsin, was not wearing his seatbelt and his injuries were initially considered life-threatening, police officials said.
A Flight For Life medical helicopter responded and landed nearby at a business near 85th Street and Sheridan Road.
The helicopter flew Melendez to Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Melendez’s condition is no longer considered life-threatening as of Wednesday.
He has been stabilized but is still receiving medical treatment at the hospital, police officials said.
The female passenger in the Jeep suffered minor injuries and was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment. No officers were injured.
Police officials said officers found 4.2 grams of cocaine and drug paraphernalia in the vehicle.
Melendez is on parole out of Kenosha County, Wisconsin, for burglary and had an active warrant for his arrest through the Wisconsin Department of Corrections for a parole violation.
Melendez has been charged with criminal damage to property, possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia, first degree recklessly endangering safety, vehicle operator fleeing/eluding an officer, reckless driving endangering safety and felony hit and run causing injury.
The Wisconsin State Patrol is investigating the crash due to the incident stemming from a pursuit.