Lemont Police Contacted by Passenger in Hit-and-Run Case; Identity of Driver Still Unknown

UPDATED: Aug. 7, 2 p.m.

 Chief Kevin Shaughnessy said he's still confident detectives will track down last week's hit-and-run driver, despite the "complicated circumstances" surrounding the crash.

As of Monday afternoon, police were still searching for the driver of a black 2007 Lexus that fled the scene after crashing into a guard rail and speed sign on Main Street on July 29.

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The Lexus was heading west on Main Street at approximately 6:15 a.m. when it struck a guard rail and speed sign on the south side of the road, just east of Fourth Street, police said.

The car rolled, ending up in the westbound lane of Main Street facing east.

The front end of the Lexus sustained extensive damage. Police said droplets found near the scene led them to believe the driver was injured and ran into nearby Canadian National railroad tracks.

Detective Sgt. Jerry Lehmacher said Tuesday that police were contacted by an attorney who claimed his client was the passenger in the vehicle, but would not share the identity of the driver.

"We're having a hard time with this case," Lehmacher said. "We've been in contact with someone who claims to be the passenger, but at this point we're still investigating."

Making things more complicated, Shaughnessy said, is the fact that the Lexus still had dealership license plates.

"It's not as cut and dry as running the plates and identifying a driver," he said. "With the dealer plates, we have a number of possibilities."

Shaughnessy said he's still hopeful detectives will be able to find the driver.

"We take hit-and-runs very seriously, so we'll continue to follow every lead until we find the person responsible," he said.

Anyone with information on the accident should contact the Lemont Police Department at 630-257-2229.

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