Authorities: Man tried to run over pedestrians, flee police
Kane County sheriff’s deputies assisted Lombard police in stopping a driver who was suspected of attempting to run over three pedestrians and was trying to elude police, according to sheriff’s reports.
The driver, Robert B. Lochhead, 51, of the 1400 block of Lama Lane, Mount Prospect, was charged with felony aggravated assault, aggravated assault on public property, fleeing or attempting to elude police and transportation of open alcohol by a driver, records show.
At about 8 p.m. March 14, the sheriff’s office was notified that Lombard police were pursuing a white Dodge Durango driven by Lochhead, according to the report.
Lombard police ended their pursuit after another agency used a StarChase system to tag the vehicle, according to the report.
StarChase is an alternative to dangerous high-speed chases, where a GPS dart is launched from a police car.
Deputies responded to the area on Interstate 90 to set up spikes in case the Durango continued into Kane, according to the report.
A deputy saw the white Durango traveling west on I-90 just east of Illinois Route 31 near Elgin, verified it was the vehicle being sought, and activated lights and sirens to pull it over, according to the report.
Instead of stopping, according to the report, the Durango sped up to 70 miles an hour, went across two lanes of traffic to get to the Route 31 exit and continued north.
The deputy deployed mobile spikes into the Durango’s rear tire. But it kept going, turned east on Tollgate Road, and then turned south onto Airport Road, according to the report.
The deputy deployed more mobile spikes into the front tire and another into the rear tire, according to the report.
A deputy saw the vehicle cross a double yellow line to pass another vehicle and, pacing the Durango, noted it was going at about 60 mph in a 30 mph zone, according to the report.
As they rounded the curve under the I-90 overpass, the deputy saw that the Durango’s front tire was flat and it began crossing over the double yellow line multiple times “as it was seemingly trying to block my squad from further mobile spike deployments,” according to the report.
The Durango then turned north onto Route 31 when the front tire completely separated and he continued on the front metal rim and a flat rear tire, according to the report.
Lochhead then returned to westbound I-90, reaching a top speed of 63 miles an hour. By about 8:30 p.m. another deputy positioned his squad in front of the Durango and slowed down, causing it also to slow down until it stopped, according to the report.
Lombard police took custody of Lochhead, due to their having more serious charges against him, according to the report.
Lochhead is being held in the DuPage County jail with a court date of April 14, records show.
When Lochhead is released from DuPage County, he will be turned over to Kane County on charges of felony aggravated fleeing over 21 miles an hour over the limit and for two more traffic control devices, according to the report.