An Oak Park man has been ordered detained in DuPage County Jail after being charged with leading authorities on a vehicle chase that reached speeds of up to 120 mph, spanned several suburban towns and included a Homeland Security helicopter aiding police.
Rashaad Simpson, 21, of the 1100 block of Washington Boulevard, in Oak Park, appeared in court Thursday in DuPage County, charged with aggravated fleeing and eluding a police officer – a Class 4 felony – and multiple misdemeanor and petty traffic offenses, according to a news release from DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin’s office.
According to the release, on Wednesday at approximately 10:53 p.m., a Bensenville police officer on Route 83 in the west suburb allegedly observed a vehicle, later determined to be driven by Simpson, passing him at a high rate of speed.
The officer began following the vehicle, a Honda Civic, on northbound Route 83 when the driver allegedly disobeyed a red light at Route 83 and Foster Avenue, made a U-turn and sped away on southbound Route 83, the release states.
A dizzying chase began.
The officer pursued the driver, reportedly reaching speeds over 100 mph. Simpson weaved in and out of traffic and, at one point, drove on the shoulder of the road, going about 120 mph, authorities stated in the release. He then got onto Interstate 290 headed eastbound where he exited at York Road and traveled southbound into the suburb of Elmhurst “while continuing to travel over 100 mph,” according to the release.
Authorities said he continued speeding – at approximately 100 mph – into Elmhurst, “disobeyed multiple stop signs and traveled the wrong way on one-way streets.”
That led authorities to stop the chase, “out of safety concerns.”
But Simpson was reportedly located again at North Avenue and Route 83, officials stated in the release. So, a Department of Homeland Security helicopter began following Simpson.
Officials said Simpson then drove onto westbound I-290 to Interstate 355 where he connected to Interstate 390 and traveled east before exiting at Thorndale Avenue and going on to northbound Route 83.
“Simpson then parked his vehicle in front of a business in the 1000 block of North Busse Road in Elk Grove Village at which time Bensenville police officers took him into custody,” according to the release.
Berlin called the chase “outrageous.”
“Thankfully, no innocent pedestrians were injured or worse as he allegedly raced through town.
Berlin explained in the release that last year, DuPage County saw a 65% increase in aggravated fleeing and eluding cases, calling it a ”dangerous epidemic.”
But, the county prosecutor said so far this year there has been a 20% decrease in those kinds of cases, and said DuPage authorities will continue to go after them to “ensure we don’t have a repeat of this type of dangerous behavior in 2024.”
“Be warned, we will use every resource available to us, including the use of a helicopter as in this case, to ensure you are arrested, charged and prosecuted,” Berlin stated in the release.
Simpson is scheduled to appear in court again March 18.
