A suspect was taken into custody after a lengthy but unusually slow-speed police pursuit on Interstate 94 in Lake County after reportedly hitting a police squad Wednesday morning.
The Bensenville Police Department began pursuing a beige Lexus sedan just before 11:10 a.m. Wednesday on York Road in the area of Devon Avenue.
The car was wanted for hitting a police squad car and fleeing, according to police radio traffic. A traffic stop was performed and the driver refused to pull over.
The driver, described as an older male Hispanic, fled at approximately 70 mph as the chase continued northbound on Elmhurst Road passing Touhy Avenue in Elk Grove Village.
The chase got onto eastbound Interstate 90 from Elmhurst Road before traveling northbound on Interstate 294.
Speeds were approximately 70 mph on Interstate 90 but reached up to 100 mph at one point just before entering Interstate 294.
Speeds slowed down as the chase continued northbound on Interstate 294 passing Park Ridge, Des Plaines, Glenview and Northbrook.
The pursuit slowed even more, with the Lexus driving approximately 25 mph, just before it entered Lake County on Interstate 94.
Law enforcement in Lake County was requested to assist with spike strips and a Chicago Police Department helicopter also responded.
A police officer in the pursuit reported seeing the driver make movements toward the center console before moments later reporting that the driver was grabbing a cigarette to smoke.
The chase continued past Deerfield, Riverwoods, Bannockburn and Lake Forest along Interstate 94.
The pursuit remained at slow speeds, with traffic held up behind it, for nearly the rest of the chase except when the Lexus briefly sped up to 70 mph.
Officers successfully deployed spike strips that hit the Lexus’ tires and the vehicle came to a stop a half-mile north of Buckley Road on Interstate 94 near Libertyville around 12 p.m.
Officers took the suspect into custody and a tow truck was called to remove the vehicle.
The Illinois State Police assisted the Bensenville Police Department with the incident but ISP officials deferred comment to Bensenville, which has not released further information yet.