Palos Hills Man Eludes Joliet Police, Crashes Into SUV Near I-55: PD

JOLIET, IL — A 31-year-old Palos Hills man remains hospitalized after he eluded Joliet Police at high speeds on Sunday night before crashing into another vehicle that was turning onto an on-ramp to get onto Interstate 55 and seriously injuring two people, police said on Monday.

Mohammed Nakhleh, along with two women from Villa Park and Plainfield, respectively, were hospitalized after the crash, which took place when the man led police on the chase in his Mercedes after he failed to pull over for a traffic stop, Joliet Police said.

Police attempted to pull Nakhleh over just before 10 p.m. Sunday near Caton Farm Road and Pebble Beach Drive for failure to signal a turn. Rather than pulling over, however, police said Nakhleh continued on Pebble Beach Drive.

Officers initially continued to pursue the Mercedes, but stopped the chase out of safety concerns, police said.

A short time later, another officer attempted to pull the car over after seeing it on the northwest frontage road from Caton Farm. Again, police said Nakhleh refused to stop and continued at a high rate of speed, and the officer again chose not to pursue the vehicle.

Police said that the Mercedes continued east on Plainfield Road approaching the intersection for the southbound Interstate 55 on-ramp, at which time the Mercedes collided with a Chevrolet Equinox driven by a 26-year-old man from Villa Park that was turning left toward the southbound Interstate 55 on-ramp from eastbound Plainfield Road.

Officers approached the driver, later identified as Nakhleh, and placed him in custody after a brief struggle. A search of Nakhleh’s vehicle turned up what police suspected were hydrocodone pills, marijuana and ammunition.

The driver of the other vehicle and his passenger, a 25-year-old Plainfield woman, along with Nakhleh, were transported to Ascension St Joseph Medical Center by the Joliet Fire Department in serious condition.

Nakhleh has been charged with aggravated fleeing and eluding a police officer, possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, unlawful possession of ammunition, resisting and obstructing an officer and driving with a revoked license. He was also cited for failure to signaling while turning and two counts of disobeying a stop sign.