WILLIAMSON COUNTY, IL (WSIL) -- A 13-year-old child was arrested after leading police on a high-speed chase that resulted in the child crashing into an embankment.
Information on the police chase comes from a press release from Jeff Diedrich, Sheriff of Williamson County.
On Sunday, May 7, officers had received multiple reports of a reckless driver traveling along Route 13, near Spillway Road. Several reports claimed the driver was a minor and had driven in the wrong lane.
After police had tried to pull over the runaway car, the driver fled the officers at speeds that exceeded 100 miles per hour. The car drove eastbound on Route 13, turned northbound on the southbound I-57 exit ramp, maneuvered northbound in the southbound lane of I-57 and drove onto oncoming traffic for several miles before returning to the northbound lane.
After a while, the 13-year-old took Exit 59, did not turn onto Broadway Boulevard, and veered into the bottom of an embankment on the northeast side of the interchange. The child attempted to escape on foot, but officers swiftly apprehended the suspect.
It was revealed the car was stolen out of Carbondale, IL. The suspect was taken to a local hospital, though the suspect was not injured in the incident.
The child has been issued the following charges:
- Aggravated Fleeing and Eluding
- No Valid Driver's License
- Resisting a Peace Officer
The driver is believed to be one of three juveniles that ran away from a group home for vulnerable, at-risk youth in Owensboro, Kentucky.
The sheriff's office received assistance from the county's state's attorney as well as Illinois State Police. Departments from Carterville, Energy, Johnston City, Marion and Owensboro (KY) also helped.
The investigation is active and ongoing.
