Drunken Driver Flips Car While Fleeing Police: Cops

PLAINFIELD, IL — A 29-year-old Plainfield man was hospitalized after fleeing from police and crashing his car, which then burst into flames.

Illinois State Police District 15 troopers attempted to pull Kyle Butts over for speeding at around 1:06 a.m. Jan. 28 when he continued driving and attempted to flee, according to Illinois State Police Lt. Robert Meeder.

Plainfield Police Sgt. Mike Fisher said they received notification to be on the lookout for the driver after the ISP lost sight of him in the area of I-55 and Route 126.

Meeder said officers tried to locate Butts at his Plainfield home and upon arrival at 1:30 a.m. saw that his car had flipped over and caught fire. Butts had fled the scene before police arrived. The crash occurred on 135th St. west of Plainfield-Naperville Rd., according to Fisher

“Our officers went into the area and located the individual near the shopping plaza where Menards is and the White Castle and Culvers,” Fisher said.

Butts then began to run, according to Fisher, but his condition kept him from getting too far.

“He was obviously intoxicated and freezing cold so that didn’t last very long before he gave up. We took him into custody and turned him over to the state police,” Fisher said. Police then took him to Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital for evaluation.

According to a neighbor near the scene of the crash, Butts hit a driveway and mailbox, flew through a yard hitting trees and flipped his car which caught fire a short time later. He then ran on foot from the crash.

“We found the car’s registration in our yard,” the neighbor told Patch. “I believe it was his mother and father’s car.”

Butts has been charged with driving under the influence and fleeing and eluding. Meeder doesn’t believe Butts will be charged with any property damage stemming from the crash.