A Waukegan man allegedly led police on a high-speed chase in North Chicago and then crashed into another vehicle in Beach Park where he fled the scene on foot, authorities said.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Nicholas Shepherd said an officer with the North Chicago Police Department was on patrol in the area of 12th Street and Jackson in North Chicago on August 10.
He observed a gold Mazda sedan traveling at a very high rate of speed.
The officer activated his lights and sirens in a fully marked squad car but the Mazda started increasing its speed, Shepherd said.
The Mazda reached speeds of 70 mph in a 25 mph zone and it drove through six stop signs during the chase before crossing into the Lake County Sheriff’s Office jurisdiction.
Shepherd said the officer continued pursuing the vehicle but eventually terminated the chase.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office was shortly after dispatched to the intersection of Wall Avenue and Green Bay Road in Beach Park for a report of a hit-and-run crash.
Deputies found a black Toyota with damage to the front driver’s side and a gold Mazda that had damage to the rear passenger side, Shepherd said.
The victims reported that the gold Mazda sped up on their left and attempted to pass them. The Mazda merged back into the lane too closely and struck their vehicle.
Shepherd said the driver of the Mazda fled the scene on foot and deputies located a man matching the description provided by the victims.
Armando L. Carrillo, 28, of Waukegan, was walking on the side of the road a short distance from the scene and was taken into custody.
He said he was the driver of the Mazda and deputies observed him to have bloodshot, glassy eyes, slurred speech and an odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his person, Shepherd said.
Carrillo reported that he consumed a few beers before driving, Shepherd said. He refused to submit to standardized field sobriety testing.
Shepherd said Carrillo was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and Carrillo refused an evidentiary breath sample at the sheriff’s office. He has two prior offenses for driving under the influence.
The North Chicago Police Department later confirmed that the Mazda was the same one that fled from them before they terminated the chase earlier.
“The Defendant while under the influence of alcohol fled from police officers, struck another motorist’s vehicle at a high rate of speed, and fled from scene. Absent detention the defendant will not comply with any court orders,” Shepherd said.
Carrillo was charged with aggravated driving under influence third offense, aggravated fleeing or eluding, driving under influence of alcohol, reckless driving, leaving the scene of a crash, failure to reduce speed to avoid a crash, operating uninsured motor vehicle and driving during revocation.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Carrillo pending trial and Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim granted the request during a detention hearing.
Carrillo remains held in the Lake County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court again on September 23 for another detention hearing where his defense attorney is seeking to have him released.