Joliet Senior Citizen, 2 Girls Seriously Hurt After Boy, 16, Crashes Stolen Kia While Fleeing: Joliet PD

JOLIET, IL — A Joliet 16-year-old is accused of fleeing in a stolen Kia and causing several crashes that left one senior citizen seriously hurt, police said. A juvenile girl who was in the stolen vehicle also suffered life-threatening injuries, and another girl who was in the Kia suffered serious injuries, according to police.

Joliet police said the teen boy had a stolen Kia Rio in his possession, but rather than allow the police to capture him, he sped off and blew a red light before hitting a red Jeep at Black Road and Larkin Avenue. But it didn't stop there, according to police, who said the teenage boy kept driving, striking at least two other vehicles and leaving his passengers seriously hurt.

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"The driver of this red Jeep is a very close family friend for almost 40 years and my prayers are with him for a speedy recovery and his family who face a very long road ahead, making sure that their husband, father and grandfather recovers from some very serious injuries," Will County Republican Sheriff's candidate Jim Reilly shared on his Facebook page on Tuesday. "My prayers are with you all during this very difficult time."

According to Joliet police spokesman Dwayne English:

• At 11:11 a.m. Monday, members of the Tri-County Auto Theft Task Force spotted a Kia Rio that had been reported stolen earlier in the morning from the 3100 block of Nantucket Drive near the 1800 block of Glenwood Avenue.

• Officers followed the vehicle into the parking lot of Joliet West High School and additional officers arrived to assist.

• When officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the Kia, the driver immediately accelerated at a high rate of speed away from the officers, and the officers discontinued the attempted stop, according to police.

• The Kia continued northbound on Larkin Avenue from Glenwood Avenue in a reckless manner, English said.

• Moments later, police said the teen boy disregarded a red traffic light at the intersection of Black Road and North Larkin Avenue, and the Kia struck a Jeep Wrangler driven by a 67-year-old Joliet man who was turning southbound onto Larkin Avenue on a green left-turn arrow. The force of the collision caused the Jeep to spin and roll onto its roof, police said.

• After the initial impact, the Kia continued into the westbound lanes of Black Road east of the intersection, where it struck a Subaru Forester driven by an 80-year-old Glenview man that was stopped in the left-turn lane. The Kia then struck a GMC Sierra driven by a 74-year-old Joliet man that was stopped at the intersection awaiting a green traffic signal, according to English.

The driver of the Kia, a 16-year-old boy, sustained minor injuries and was transported by the Joliet Fire Department to Saint Joseph Medical Center.

Police said a juvenile female passenger of the Kia sustained life-threatening injuries and was transported to Saint Joseph Medical Center before being transferred to Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove for further medical treatment.

A second juvenile female passenger of the Kia sustained serious, non-life-threatening injuries and was transported by the Joliet Fire Department to Saint Joseph Medical Center.

Police said the driver of the Jeep sustained serious, non-life-threatening injuries and had to be extricated from the vehicle by the Joliet Fire Department. He was transported to Saint Joseph Medical Center.

The occupants of the Subaru and GMC were not injured.

Following his release from the hospital, the 16-year-old driver was transported to the Joliet Police Department and charged with aggravated fleeing. He was processed at the Joliet Police Department and subsequently transferred to the
River Valley Justice Center.