A DuPage County judge on Thursday ordered a teenager from Maywood held in custody on felony charges related to a high-speed chase through the western suburbs that reached 132 miles per hour, authorities said.
The 17-year-old, whose name is being withheld because of his age, faces felony possession of a stolen motor vehicle and aggravated fleeing and eluding a police officer, along with several misdemeanors, according to prosecutors.
The youth was arrested early Wednesday morning following a nearly 20-minute pursuit that began in west suburban Villa Park and stretched to Schaumburg before circling back to Villa Park and finally ending in Elmhurst, according to prosecutors.
Villa Park officers first spotted the teen just before 1:15 a.m. on Route 83 near Lake Street, driving a 2013 Hyundai Genesis that was reported stolen out of Chicago, prosecutors said. When the officers tried to pull over the vehicle, the teen sped away westbound on North Avenue, eventually reaching speeds of about 104 mph, authorities said.
Once the teen drove on to the Veterans Memorial Tollway, his speed soon reached about 132 mph, something prosecutors called unimaginable. Despite the high speeds, no injuries were reported.
“To characterize fleeing from police at 132 mph, as alleged in this case, as an extremely dangerous display of an utter contempt for the rule of law and public safety would be a gross understatement,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in a statement. “We are all extremely grateful that no innocent motorists or bystanders were injured or killed as a result of the defendant’s alleged actions.”
The Hyundai eventually crashed into a parked car in the 600 block of Vallette Street in Elmhurst and the teen fled the vehicle on foot, but was taken into custody.
Judge Demetrios Panoushis ordered the teen held in custody until at least his next court date on Sept. 15.
