A 21-year-old Berkeley man was involved in a police chase through Chicago's western suburbs Wednesday afternoon, and his car eventually lost a tire; now he's facing new felony charges while he's still out on pretrial release from an earlier fleeing-and-eluding incident.
NBC Chicago's Sky 5 helicopter captured footage of the pursuit, which authorities say began when officers tried to pull over a black Lexus sedan around 4:30 p.m. after witnessing multiple traffic violations, according to NBC Chicago. The sedan, it turned out, was already wanted for fleeing and eluding officers in DuPage County. Rather than stop, the driver took off, weaving through lanes on a Chicago-area expressway and numerous roadways as the chase unfolded.
Berkeley police said the driver failed to yield to police emergency equipment, and the pursuit soon spilled onto I-290 and multiple area roadways, drawing in several law enforcement agencies at once. The driver reportedly disregarded the growing convoy of pursuing squad cars, according to the same report. At some point during the chase, the vehicle lost a tire.
A Tire-Deflation Device and High-Risk Stop End the Chase
Police eventually deployed a tire-deflation device. The driver continued to flee after the device was deployed, and the vehicle eventually lost a tire. The pursuit ended near Canterbury Street and Boeger Avenue, where officers conducted a high-risk traffic stop and took the driver into custody.
Officers identified the driver as Vincent Kehoe, 21, of Berkeley. He was charged with two counts of felony aggravated fleeing and eluding and issued multiple traffic citations related to the incident, the station's report notes. Berkeley police issued a release confirming the arrest and the charges.
What makes Kehoe's case notable is that he was already on pretrial release stemming from a previous Cook County fleeing-and-eluding incident when this chase happened.
What Illinois Law Says About Repeat Fleeing Charges
Under Illinois law, a first conviction for aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer is a Class 4 felony carrying one to three years in state prison, fines up to $25,000, and mandatory driver's license revocation, according to Phil Haddad Law. The charge escalates from simple fleeing to felony aggravated fleeing when a driver goes at least 21 mph over the speed limit, causes injury or over $300 in property damage, disobeys two or more traffic control devices, or conceals a vehicle's plate, per the Illinois Vehicle Code.
Kehoe was on pretrial release when he was charged again. Under the Illinois SAFE-T Act's Pretrial Fairness Act framework, in effect since September 2023, prosecutors may seek detention in certain eligible cases, and a hearing occurs if a prosecutor files a petition, according to Illinois Legal Aid Online.
Berkeley in Cook County
Kehoe's home village of Berkeley is a Cook County suburb of roughly 5,100 residents, according to World Population Review.
DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin reported in February 2024 that aggravated fleeing and eluding cases in the county had surged roughly 65% in 2023 before targeted enforcement helped cut cases by 20% in early 2024.
Kehoe faces the new charges.
