Two men have been charged after allegedly fleeing from the scene of a hit-and-run crash near Interstate 290 and Harlem Avenue on Saturday, Nov. 20.
According to a report from the Forest Park Police Department, a woman’s car was struck by a gray Dodge Durango just before 7 p.m., and the Durango immediately took off following the accident. The woman decided to follow the Durango and did so until it crashed again, into a parked car, in an alley between Marengo and Elgin avenues. At that point, two men fled from the vehicle on foot.
A short while later, Forest Park police located one man, later identified as 26-year-old Ashford Johnson, of Chicago, and began a foot pursuit. An officer attempted to use a stun gun on Johnson but it was ineffective “due to the size of Johnson’s jacket.” Johnson was later apprehended and taken into custody. Police also allege Johnson tossed a handgun from his waistband during the pursuit. The handgun was later recovered.
The second suspect was arrested by Oak Park police.
Johnson has been charged with being an armed habitual criminal offender and faces two additional counts of resisting a police officer. He is being held at the Cook County Jail on a $250,000 bond. His next court hearing is scheduled for Dec. 14.
The second man admitted to being the driver of the Durango, police said, and is accused of leaving the scene of an accident, operating a vehicle without a valid driver’s license, failure to reduce speed and driving with an open container of alcohol.
This information was obtained from police reports filed by the Forest Park Police Department. Unless otherwise indicated, anybody named in these reports has only been charged with a crime. These cases have not been adjudicated.
