Hit-and-Run Causes School Lockdown in Highland Park

HIGHLAND PARK, IL - A stolen vehicle that fled the scene of an accident at Skokie Valley Road and Park Avenue Tuesday afternoon was later found abandoned by the Highland Park police, who managed to track down its occupants and arrest them in less than two hours, according to police.

The driver who reported the initial accident managed to provide dispatchers with a description of the suspects and their vehicle. Police said the car had been reported stolen to the Zion Police Department earlier the same day. After finding it abandoned near the intersection of Arlington and Auburn avenues, Highland Park police and the Lake County Sheriff's Office established a perimeter around the area, brought in a K-9 team and broadcast a description of the suspects to local officers.

Because of the proximity of Wayne Thomas and Oak Terrace elementary schools and Northwood Junior High, North Shore School District 112 staff implemented a "soft lock down." Highland Park police alerted residents of the search using the reverse 911 emergency notification system.

Around 1:20 p.m., police found two suspects in the 2900 block of Summit Ave. After being taken into custody, one of the suspects told police there was actually a third person in the car, and the search continued. Police again used the reverse 911 emergency notification system, but it was later determined that there was never a third person in the stolen car and appropriate follow-up notifications were made.

No charges were immediately filed as police review the incident with the Lake County States Attorney's Office.