A motorist attempting to flee Oak Park police on Saturday night crashed into another vehicle at the corner of South Boulevard and Ridgeland Avenue, leaving one person dead and another in critical condition.
Oak Park police said in a press release that the driver who fled was taken into custody shortly after the accident.
The offender, who was driving an SUV westbound on South Boulevard, was pulled over by police at about 10:30 p.m. near South Boulevard and Humphrey Avenue. Police did not say why the man was stopped by a patrol officer.
As the officer approached the vehicle, the car reportedly sped away and ran a red light at the corner of South and Ridgeland, striking a four-door sedan that was headed south on Ridgeland.
At least one of the vehicles crashed into the corner storefront of Pieritz Brothers Inc., 401 South Blvd., an office supply business. The windows of the storefront were boarded up following the incident, but the extent of the damage is unknown.
Police said in the press release that the officer “had not initiated a chase when the SUV struck the sedan.”
The driver reportedly attempted to flee on foot, but was taken into custody by police.
The passenger and the driver of the sedan were taken to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood. The driver was pronounced dead and the passenger is in critical condition and reported to have sustained multiple fractures.
The names of the two victims have not yet been released.
