ISP: Carjacking pursuit on Interstate 94 ends in crash; 6 suspects in custody
CHICAGO (CBS) – Six suspects were taken into custody following a pursuit that ended in a crash in the West Loop Saturday morning, according to Illinois State Police.
Around 4:30 a.m., ISP troopers located a vehicle wanted after a rideshare driver was carjacked at gunpoint on I-94 northbound near 33rd Street. During an attempted traffic stop, the driver of the vehicle fled leading to a pursuit.
The rideshare driver had picked up the passengers from a downtown hotel before they pulled out a gun to carjack the SUV driver once they got to the Millennium Park area.
A state trooper ran the license plate while traveling on I-94 before the pursuit began. The carjackers sped from the Dan Ryan to the westbound side of I-290 -- taking troopers over 130 mph at points -- and went from the West Side all the way to teh Chicago Skyway.
The carjackers blasted through the toll gates toward Indiana, jumped off near 92nd Street, got back on, and bolted through another toll gate, and got back on the Dan Ryan heading north.
Troopers used a pit maneuver to stop the suspects, ending the chase near Tilden and Aberdeen, where the SUV smashed into a fence.
At least one person's vehicle was damaged as the chase came to an end.
"I definitely started crying because it's just a little disturbing to see," said Brittany Bacon, whose car was struck. "There was a lot of police, and I guess it was just overwhelming. I looked and saw video of somebody from my building out taping out their window, and I knew my car was parked out there."
She said that's when she walked out and saw state troopers looking at her car -- and a weapon found at the scene.
"They didn't really tell me a lot, but there was a gun on the ground next to my car," she said.
After the carjackers ditched the car, they ran from police.
Six suspects were taken into custody. One was transported to a local area hospital for minor injuries.
ISP is asking anyone who witnessed the incident to contact them by phone at 847-294-4400, or email at ISP.CrimeTips@Illinois.gov. Witnesses can remain anonymous.
As of last week Chicago carjackings continue to be on the rise. There were 424 by this time in 2021, and in 2022 there have been 434.
