This browser does not support the Video element.
JOLIET - A Joliet man is in custody after police say he struck a picketer with his vehicle, fled from officers and crashed into another vehicle and a downtown building Wednesday morning.
Joliet man strikes pedestrian, flees from police
The backstory:
Joliet police officers near an IKEA distribution center on Emerald Drive saw a disturbance between a male picketer and the driver of a Kia about 7 a.m. Wednesday.
Police said the Kia was being driven aggressively before heading west on Emerald Drive at a high rate of speed.
Officers found the picketer lying in the roadway. He told police he had been struck by the Kia, authorities said.
Surveillance video showed the Kia striking the man and then continuing to pursue him with the vehicle, according to police.
The victim suffered minor injuries and was taken to Saint Joseph Medical Center for treatment.
Police attempted to stop the Kia as it fled, but the driver failed to stop despite officers activating their emergency lights and sirens, authorities said.
The Kia entered downtown Joliet and traveled north on Chicago Street. Police said the driver ran a red light at Jefferson Street and struck a Buick Enclave that was traveling east on Jefferson Street with a green light.
After the collision, the Kia struck two light poles before crashing into the front of a building on the east side of Chicago Street, police said.
Driver identified:
Police identified the driver as Devonte Jessup, 31, of Joliet. He was taken into custody after the crash.
Devonte Jessup, 31
Jessup complained of a minor injury and was taken to Silver Cross Hospital for treatment.
The Buick Enclave was occupied by a man and four passengers. The driver and a child passenger were evaluated at the scene for minor injuries, police said.
After being released from the hospital, Jessup was charged with:
- Aggravated battery
- Aggravated assault
- Aggravated fleeing and eluding a peace officer
- Reckless conduct
- Reckless driving
Police also cited Jessup for aggravated speeding, possession of cannabis by a driver, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, leaving the scene of an accident involving personal injury, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and three counts of disobeying a traffic control device.
What's next:
Jessup was taken to the Will County Jail.
The Source: The information in this article was provided by the Joliet Police Department.