A man drove into a field where he crashed his car into a pond off Route 120 in Volo overnight before officers found him at a gas station, with his car not being found until later Thursday morning.
The Lakemoor Police Department responded around 2:18 a.m. Thursday to the Thorntons, 28937 Route 120 in Lakemoor, for a well-being check call.
Officers arrived and spoke with a 30-year-old Lake Villa man who reported his vehicle had gone into a pond, according to Lakemoor Deputy Police Chief Robert Johnson.
The man did not know where he currently was or even where the crash occurred.
The man, who was suspected to be under the influence, said he was in the vehicle alone at the time of the crash, Johnson said.
He was evaluated by paramedics and declined transport to the hospital.
Johnson said area law enforcement agencies searched an expansive area but were unable to locate the man’s vehicle.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Lakemoor Police Department responded around 8:05 a.m. Thursday to Route 120 west of Fisher Road in Volo for a report of a vehicle spotted in a pond by a passerby.
Emergency crews found the vehicle behind Perricone Garden Center and Nursery, 31600 Fisher Road in Volo, Johnson said.
Numerous fire departments, including the Wauconda Fire District and Nunda Rural Fire Protection District, responded to the scene for a water rescue as it was initially unknown whether anyone was inside the car.
Fire crews searched the car but did not find anyone inside, Johnson said.
Perricone Garden Center and Nursery employees assisted D&L Midwest Towing in removing the car from the pond.
The Lakemoor Police Department handled the crash report and investigation.
Johnson said the investigation showed the Honda Pilot was traveling southbound on Sullivan Lake Boulevard at Route 120.
The Honda crossed Route 120 and drove into the open field.
The car went into the pond as the driver was attempting to return to the roadway, Johnson said.
The driver was cited for improper lane usage but has not been charged with driving under the influence.
Johnson said that while investigating officers suspected the man to be under the influence when they first found him at Thorntons, the fact that the vehicle could not be located and the jurisdiction was unknown prohibited the DUI investigation.
The Thorntons where the man was found is approximately a mile west of Perricone Garden Center and Nursery where the car drove into the water.