2 young boys hospitalized after father leads Indiana police on chase into Chicago, deputies say
Indiana police chase ends in crash on Chicago's South Side
A police pursuit that started in northwest Indiana ended in a crash on Chicago's South Side early Thursday.
CHICAGO - A police pursuit that began in northwest Indiana ended with a rollover crash on Chicago's South Side early Thursday morning, sending two young children and their mother to the hospital, authorities said.
Indiana police chase ends with Chicago crash
What we know:
Just after 2 a.m., a Lake County Sheriff's deputy tried stopping a stolen Toyota SUV heading northbound on Interstate 65 near 61st Avenue in northwest Indiana.
Authorities said the 30-year-old driver refused to stop and fled west on Interstate 80/94 into Illinois.
The pursuit ended around 2:38 a.m. near West 115th Street and South Longwood Drive in Chicago's Morgan Park neighborhood when the SUV struck a parked vehicle, rolled onto its side and slid to a stop.
The crash caused extensive damage to the SUV and parked vehicle, pushing it onto a nearby lawn and leaving debris scattered across the street.
Investigators said the driver, identified as the father of two children riding in the SUV, was taken to a hospital for a medical evaluation but reported no pain or injuries.
A 26-year-old woman, identified as the children's mother, complained of chest pain and was taken to a hospital.
Authorities said a 3-year-old boy suffered abrasions to his ear and was expected to be released from the hospital. A 3-month-old boy was admitted for further evaluation.
The Indiana Department of Child Services has been notified.
Investigators also said the driver had active warrants from Lake County and Michigan City, Indiana, Cook County, and the state of Michigan. The warrants include allegations involving weapons offenses, robbery, fraud and counterfeiting.
Chicago police said its officers were not involved in the pursuit. The department is investigating the crash involving the parked vehicle.
What they're saying:
The Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. issued this statement on the incident:
"We have a good working relationship with the Illinois State Police and we do pursue stolen vehicles, which are a felony offense, into other states. Officers face these types of decisions every day and we evaluate each case on an individual basis.
"We take public safety seriously. It’s unfortunate in this case the driver chose to flee with children in the car, putting them at risk. It was impossible for officers to know there were young children in the vehicle.
"At the end of the day, a dangerous felon wanted on robbery and weapon offenses was arrested and no one was seriously injured.
Our policy is to safely pursue people who break the law In Lake County regardless of where they drive in an attempt to evade police. For the past 7 years, we have been very clear with the public that criminals cannot assume the state line is their safety net and that they can get away by simply crossing it," Martinez Jr. said.
What's next:
Lake County authorities said criminal charges are pending.
The Source: The information in this story came from the Chicago Police Department and Lake County (Indiana) Sheriff's Department.