Police Find Suspect Vehicle In Hit-And-Run Of Deerfield Boy

DEERFIELD, IL — Police believe they have found the vehicle that struck and critically injured a 12-year-old Deerfield boy before leaving the scene Friday. Deerfield police said the car is being processed for evidence, and officers are interviewing a person of interest.

Chase Thompson, who has autism and is non-verbal, suffered severe injuries in Friday evening's collision on Deerfield Road at Beverly Place. He remained in critical condition Wednesday at Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago, according to Deerfield police.

According to Thompson's family, the Caruso Middle School sixth-grader ran out of the house without shoes or a coat and headed directly into the street.

The driver who struck him continued driving west on Deerfield Road in a dark-colored Ford Escape, investigators believe. Police declined to specify what type of vehicle was being processed for evidence.

Related:
$10,000 Reward Offered To Driver Who Struck Deerfield Boy
Hit-And-Run Driver Strikes 12-Year-Old In Deerfield, Police Say

Offering a $10,000 reward to the hit-and-run driver to turn him or herself in — or for information that leads to the driver's conviction — the boy's father said the incident was an accident before it became a crime.

"We do understand that this was an accident and you made a massive mistake in a moment of fear, and we can forgive that, and to prove that to you we'll put our money toward your defense," Thompson said Monday. "You can clear your own conscience, and help our son, and help us, and help a lot of other people if you will just come forward. Please, we are begging you."

An online fundraiser to support the family's mounting medical bills and costs associated with the accident had raised more than $41,000 from more than 700 donors as of noon Wednesday.

No further information was immediately available about the person being interviewed, police said, citing the ongoing investigation. Generally, if a person is being held in police custody, authorities must file charges and bring the defendant before a judge within 72 hours.

UPDATE: Northbrook Woman Charged In Hit-And-Run Of Deerfield Boy