One person is in police custody after crashing his vehicle into a wooded area while intoxicated in North Barrington, leaving the scene of the crash, then shooting himself in the foot on Tuesday night, authorities said.
Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said deputies responded to a single-vehicle traffic crash on Route 59 and Golfview Drive in North Barrington at about 11:45 p.m. Tuesday.
Upon arrival, deputies located a heavily damaged Mazda RX8 off the roadway, Covelli said.
Sheriff’s deputies found the vehicle unoccupied, Covelli said, and the driver looked to have left the scene.
A sheriff’s office canine was called in to track the driver due to possible injuries, Covelli said.
A check of the vehicle’s registration showed the vehicle was registered to Chase T. Johnson, 24, of the 400 block of Grand Avenue in Wauconda, Covelli said.
At approximately 1:00 a.m. early Wednesday morning, Johnson was seen walking in the area of Route 59 and Route 22, Covelli said.
Deputies who arrived to where Johnson was located said Johnson appeared to be intoxicated and injured.
During the interaction, Covelli said, deputies discovered Johnson had a gunshot wound to one of his feet.
Johnson was transported from the scene to an area hospital, Covelli said.
The gunshot wound was investigated, Covelli said, and authorities determined the gunshot wound was likely self-inflicted based on the trajectory.
Covelli said Johnson was uncooperative and did not explain how he sustained the gunshot wound.
No firearm was recovered from the scene, Covelli said.
A Lake County Sheriff’s Office explosive detection canine continued to check the areas Johnson likely used to flee the crash scene to see if a firearm was discarded.
Johnson was treated at a hospital and later released back into the custody of sheriff’s deputies.
Johnson was arrested for DUI and leaving the scene of an accident, Covelli said.
Covelli said the incident remains under investigation.