No Headlights, Reckless Driver On Theodore Street, Caton Ridge Subdivision Captured In Shorewood: Joliet PD

JOLIET, IL — The Joliet Police Department credited their colleagues at the Shorewood Police Department with helping them capture a young man accused of reckless driving on Saturday night.

Justin Chestnut, age 26, of Joliet was charged with fleeing and eluding a peace officer and reckless driving. Joliet police released Chestnut on a notice to appear in court.

According to Joliet police spokesman Dwayne English, at 7:58 p.m., an officer tried to conduct a traffic stop on a Dodge Charger near Theodore Street and Caton Ridge Drive after the vehicle disobeyed a stop sign and had no headlights illuminated.

English said the driver refused to stop and fled at a high rate of speed turning into the Caton Ridge subdivision and then continued to drive in a reckless manner, completing a U-turn and exiting the subdivision toward eastbound Theodore Street.

At that point, the officer did not further pursue the vehicle, Joliet police advised.

Upon further investigation, English said the officers determined that the vehicle was registered to a Shorewood resident. With the assistance of the Shorewood Police Department, the Dodge Charger was located at a home in Shorewood and the driver was identified as Chestnut, believed to be a friend of the owner. Officers spoke to Chestnut by phone, and he agreed to meet them in Shorewood.

Chestnut indicated he was the driver of the vehicle, and he was placed into custody without incident. He was also cited for three counts of disobeying a stop sign, improper lane usage, failure to signal, and driving while license suspended. The vehicle was also towed, police noted.