Police say a pickup truck driver intentionally forced another car off the roadway, causing the car to roll over, leaving two victims trapped and injured in Lake Forest.
Lake Forest Deputy Police Chief Kevin Zelk said on Wednesday that his department made an arrest in connection with a recent hit-and-run injury crash.
An intensive investigation involved several witnesses, multiple jurisdictions and video evidence, which led officers to successfully identify and apprehend the suspect responsible.
The crash occurred on southbound Route 41 north of Gage Lane around 9 a.m. on June 3 and the Lake Forest and Lake Bluff fire and police departments responded to the call.
Zelk said police and fire personnel found a black Infiniti sedan had left the roadway and rolled over into the trees west of the highway.
Both occupants of the Infiniti were trapped inside the car.
Fire crews worked to extricate the victims, who were later transported to Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital with moderate injuries.
Multiple witnesses identified a green Dodge Ram pickup truck with a ladder rack and Wisconsin registration as causing the crash, Zelk said.
The occupants of the Infiniti and the witnesses told officers that the driver of the Dodge truck was driving recklessly before the crash.
They also reported it appeared to intentionally strike the rear of the Infiniti several times prior to forcing the Infiniti from the roadway, Zelk said.
An initial investigation revealed that the offending Dodge truck had continued southbound on Route 41 past a City of Lake Forest Flock license plate reader camera.
The camera captured the Dodge and its Wisconsin registration plate.
Zelk said additional canvassing produced video evidence from Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital which showed the Dodge truck fled the area through the hospital campus, eventually leaving the area north on Waukegan Road.
The hospital video and Flock camera images led to officers identifying Thomas L. Walker, 39, of Palmyra, Wisconsin, as the suspect.
Walker has an extensive criminal history, has frequently fled from the police and had a revoked driver’s license in both Illinois and Wisconsin, Zelk said.
The Dodge truck was found abandoned on June 5 in the 2300 block of Commonwealth in North Chicago.
Officers searched the area and located witnesses and cameras from area businesses.
The footage showed Walker leaving the Dodge truck on June 3, Zelk said.
One of the victims from the Infiniti was able to positively identify Walker as the driver of the Dodge.
Investigators learned Walker had been taken into custody on an arrest warrant from an incident in Waukegan.
Officers interviewed Walker, who admitted to driving the Dodge and striking the Infiniti.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office approved charges of two counts of leaving the scene of a crash involving personal injury, aggravated battery and aggravated assault.
Walker was served with the charges while in custody at Lake County Jail. Additional charges are possible.
“This investigation would not have been possible without the overwhelming witness response our agency received,” Zelk said.
The department was aided by members of the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office, Zion Police Department and North Chicago Police Department.
“Key evidence from the Lake Forest Police Department’s Flock Camera on Route 41 and video gathered from Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital, helped Officers quickly identify the offending vehicle. Ultimately this helped our Officers to locate the Dodge and identify Walker as a suspect,” Zelk said.
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