A reckless driver caused mayhem in Lake County and injured several people during a police chase Tuesday evening near Gurnee.
According to a Lake County sheriff’s office release, the unidentified 34-year-old Lake County man was believed to be driving impaired just before 6 p.m. around a gas station on the 36000 block of Grandwood Drive near Gurnee.
Witnesses told authorities the driver struck a vehicle at the gas station, drove away, returned to the gas station and struck another vehicle before fleeing again.
The driver was reportedly bleeding and driving erratically as he left the area, witnesses told investigators.
Shortly after the initial call, a responding deputy located the suspect vehicle and attempted to make a traffic stop, but the driver fled again, sideswiping two vehicles at the intersection of Stearns School Road and Hunt Club Road, injuring one of the drivers.
Deputies continued the pursuit and briefly had the suspect’s vehicle stopped at Hunt Club Road and Grand Avenue due to traffic. Deputies attempted to enter the driver’s vehicle, but traffic began clearing and the suspect drove away.
According to the press release, the driver continued southbound on Route 21 where he ran a red light and T-boned another vehicle with four people inside, including two children.
The driver then attempted to continue fleeing and rammed a northbound vehicle, injuring that driver as well.
The suspect’s vehicle continued to roll until a deputy used their squad car to disable it.
The suspect was taken into custody and aid was rendered to all those who were injured.
Authorities said the injuries to those in cars struck by the suspect were not considered life-threatening. Seven people, including the suspect, were transported to area hospitals for treatment.
Charges are pending against the driver, who remains in custody.
The Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team and Lake County Sheriff’s Office Technical Crash Investigations Team are still investigating, authorities said.
