A 32-year-old Chicago man is behind bars after allegedly leading Oak Brook police on a 109 mph chase through Westmont early Sunday morning, a pursuit that ended only after a police drone spotted him hiding near an elementary school in neighboring Willowbrook. William Brown, of the 13000 block of Drexel Avenue, was ordered held in custody following a hearing Monday in DuPage County's first appearance court.
A Traffic Stop That Went Sideways Fast
According to the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office, DuPage County Judge Joshua Dieden granted prosecutors' motion to deny Brown pre-trial release, ordering him detained while his case proceeds. The decision came after Oak Brook officers spotted Brown's Chevrolet Equinox traveling northbound on Midwest Road toward Kimberly Circle at roughly 2:08 a.m. Sunday, as reported by Shaw Local.
Authorities allege Brown turned off the Equinox's headlights as an officer approached, then turned onto Kimberly Circle, made a U-turn, and headed back south on Midwest Road. When police initiated a traffic stop, Brown allegedly drove away instead of pulling over, kicking off a pursuit that would span multiple municipal borders in a matter of minutes, the outlet's report notes.
Triple the Speed Limit Through Downtown Westmont
Police say the Equinox reached about 109 mph on Cass Avenue as Brown headed toward downtown Westmont, a corridor that runs directly past Westmont's business district.
During the chase, Brown is accused of crossing double yellow lines several times while weaving between other motorists and disobeying multiple red lights, per the same account from prosecutors. The Equinox also struck a coyote during the pursuit, according to the release. Brown eventually drove into a residential area on Hinswood Drive, a no-outlet subdivision, where police set up spike strips at the entrance and began searching the area.
Drone Finds Suspect Near Elementary School
Police terminated the active pursuit but stayed in the area, and officers say Brown returned to the subdivision on multiple occasions after spotting squad cars nearby. Police eventually located the abandoned Equinox in the 1000 block of Hinswood Avenue. A Willowbrook police officer then used a police drone to find Brown hiding near an elementary school on Concord Place before arresting him after a brief foot pursuit, the state's attorney's office reports.
The drone-assisted takedown fits a broader shift in how DuPage County suburbs handle fleeing suspects. Oak Brook Police Department has rolled out a Drones as First Responders program alongside Grappler bumper nets designed to stop fleeing vehicles without resorting to high-speed chases, as Hoodline previously reported.
Charges and What Comes Next
Brown faces two counts of aggravated fleeing and eluding along with multiple misdemeanor and petty traffic offenses, according to the state's attorney's office. Under Illinois statute 625 ILCS 5/11-204.1, a first conviction for the Class 4 felony carries a potential sentence of 1 to 3 years in state prison, fines up to $25,000, and mandatory driver's license revocation by the Illinois Secretary of State, per the Illinois General Assembly's statutory framework.
DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said the alleged behavior was extremely dangerous and put Brown, police officers, and the motoring public at great risk. Berlin also said he was relieved that no innocent motorists were injured in the incident, adding that attempting to outrun police is extremely dangerous and fails time after time, according to Shaw Local. Brown is due back in court on November 9.
The case adds to a steady string of high-speed fleeing arrests across DuPage County this year. Eleven days earlier, an Oak Brook officer's attempted traffic stop on I-355 triggered an 85 mph chase that ended with a Joliet man facing felony fleeing charges and pre-trial detention, according to Chronicle Media. Berlin's office has consistently sought pre-trial detention in such cases. In February, a 28-year-old Chicago man was charged after a pursuit through Hinsdale, Oak Brook, and Downers Grove at speeds over 70 mph.
