Posted on 08/30/2006 10:58:25 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
Driver Of Vehicle In Police Custody
(CBS) RIVERSIDE -- A fiery crash stopped traffic on a Metra line Wednesday evening after a police pursuit involving a drug investigation.
CBS 2’s Rob Johnson reports the suspect who managed to escape the SUV before it burst into flames has been captured.
The driver of the SUV that overturned on the Metra tracks in west suburban Riverside, causing long train delays during the Wednesday evening rush, was in police custody Wednesday night awaiting charges.
Metra trains on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Line between Aurora and Chicago's Union Station were completely stopped just after 5 p.m. Wednesday.
According to fire dispatches, the incident was at Burlington Street and Cowley Road in Riverside. Metra spokeswoman Judy Pardonnet said the SUV was lying upside down and was on fire, but was not hit by a train.
According to Riverside police, the department responded to 31st and Des Plaines to assist Forest Park authorities in attempting to stop a vehicle wanted in a drug investigation at 5:07 p.m. That investigation began in River Forest.
“This car comes speeding by. It looked like a guy around 20 years old. All these cop cars are chasing him,” said witness Mark Bennett.
The SUV fled to Riverside, and attempted to cross the BNSF tracks while trying to elude police. It then rolled over and caught on fire.
Resident Tim Forney said it took several minutes to catch fire.
“The car was already on the railroad tracks on its side, and it was starting to smolder. After about 5 or 10 minutes, it burst into flames,” said Forney.
The suspect then fled on foot and ran into Kerry Haulotte’s backyard.
“So I basically told him to stay there until the cops got there, and the cops were there almost immediately,” said Haulotte.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze and trains were running normally within a few hours.
The suspect may have been confused by Riverside’s maze of streets.
“This is the place to try to lose the police because the streets are like spaghetti,” Forney said.
The suspect, a 23-year-old St. Charles resident, was transported to Mac Neal Hospital in Berwyn with minor injuries. Police say he will face several charges.
The investigation is ongoing.
"The SUV fled to Riverside, and attempted to cross the BNSF tracks while trying to elude police. It then rolled over and caught on fire."
Amazing, not only has someone invented the self-driving SUV that can drive through traffic, it's gone rogue.
Thank God, I got off that run 5 mins. before this fateful train wreck ... and the run's been fraught with this kind of incident, now the 3rd time in about a month .. SO freaky.
Flee the cops and endanger lives. 15 year minimum sentence.
OOOps .. NOT train wreck ... wreck
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