A man crashed his pickup truck into two poles in Old Mill Creek while drunk, fled the scene on foot and tried to trick officers into believing he was walking his dog before running and resisting arrest Sunday morning.
Anthony Fisher, 52, of Chicago, was charged with manufacture or delivery of one gram or more but less than 15 grams of any substance containing cocaine or an analog, possession of a controlled substance other than methamphetamine or counterfeit substance, driving under the influence of alcohol, driving on a suspended license, leaving the scene of a crash involving damage, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, improper lane usage, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, expired registration and resisting or obstructing a peace officer.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Gurnee Fire Department responded around 3:10 a.m. Sunday to Stearns School Road east of Route 45 in Old Mill Creek for a report of a vehicle in a ditch.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Chief Christopher Covelli said deputies arrived and found a Ford F-150 with significant damage after it hit two utility poles.
The crash, which occurred near the curve on Stearns School Road just east of the nearby Walgreens, caused one of the poles to be severed and another to catch on fire.
No one was in the Ford, prompting drones and a Lake County Sheriff’s K-9 team to search for the driver, Covelli said.
“While searching, a Lindenhurst Police Officer observed a man in the area of Stearns School Road near Sand Lake Road, who claimed to be walking his dog,” Covelli said.
Deputies responded and determined the man, identified as Fisher, was the registered owner of the Ford.
“While speaking with Lindenhurst officers and sheriff’s deputies, he fled on foot. After a brief pursuit, Fisher was taken into custody, however, he resisted arrest before being taken into custody,” Covelli said.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Dino Katris said Fisher was found to have soiled his pants and was “incredibly intoxicated” when officers made contact with him. He was the registered owner of the vehicle.
Fisher was not injured in the crash and was transported to the Lake County Jail.
Katris said officers found a baggie containing 20 individually wrapped bags of suspected cocaine, weighing nine grams total. A scale was also recovered.
A portion of Stearns School Road east of Route 45 remained closed into the later morning hours while ComEd crews repaired the damage and tow truck crews removed the Ford.
Fisher appeared at the Lake County Courthouse on Monday morning for his First Appearance Court hearing.
He remains held in custody and is scheduled to appear on Tuesday afternoon for a hearing to revoke his pre-trial release in a prior case.