Two Harvey residents are facing charges following a dangerous encounter on the interstate that resulted in an Illinois State Police trooper's injury. According to ABC7 Chicago, 44-year-old William Oiler and 57-year-old Herbert Needom have both been charged with a count of felony theft.
Oiler faces additional legal trouble with three counts of fleeing and eluding police, including allegations of causing great bodily harm, property damage over $300, and leaving the scene of a personal injury accident. The incident, which left a state trooper hospitalized, began during a traffic stop last Thursday, as reported by CBS Chicago. The suspects, in a stolen vehicle, fled the scene and drove the wrong way onto an I-57 on-ramp, ultimately crashing head-on into a squad car.
Needom faces a charge of possessing burglary tools, as detailed by CBS Chicago. The incident began when Country Club Hills police attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle connected to a theft investigation. Instead of stopping, the vehicle sped off, driving the wrong way on the interstate and crashing into a state trooper entering I-57 southbound from 159th Street in Markham.
Both suspects, injured in the collision, were taken to an area hospital along with the trooper, who, as per ABC7 Chicago, suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
