A late-night police chase in Joliet ended in a violent collision at Black Road and Larkin Avenue early Sunday, sending four people to the hospital and leaving one of them with life-threatening injuries. The chain of events started when a patrol officer spotted a Cadillac CTS moving through town without headlights or taillights, according to ABC7 Chicago.
How the crash unfolded
Just before 2 a.m., an officer saw the Cadillac on Raynor Avenue and tried to pull it over. Police said the 21-year-old Joliet driver instead hit the gas, speeding away and heading west on Black Road.
As the Cadillac reached the intersection at Larkin Avenue, the driver ran a red light and slammed into a northbound Chevrolet Cruze that had the green. The impact pushed the Cadillac off the roadway, where it hit a utility pole and overturned, according to ABC7 Chicago.
Emergency crews had to extricate the Cadillac driver from the wreckage. That driver was first taken to Saint Joseph Medical Center with life-threatening injuries, then flown to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood. The 23-year-old Chicago man driving the Chevrolet, along with his two male passengers, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were treated at Saint Joseph.
The intersection at Black and Larkin was shut down for several hours while investigators reconstructed the crash scene, according to ABC7 Chicago.
Police seeking footage and witnesses
Joliet police said the investigation remains active and are asking anyone who may have seen the chase or crash, or who has video of the incident, to contact the Traffic Unit. Tipsters can reach the Traffic Unit at 815-724-3010, per the City of Joliet Police Department.
