Hit-And-Run Driver Runs Into Home After Wilmette Crash, Remains In Custody

WILMETTE, IL — Police said they arrested a man who fled the scene of a hit-and-run crash Sunday afternoon and entered a nearby home before they discovered him hiding in a detached garage.

Wilmette police were dispatched to a two-car crash near the intersection of Lake Avenue and Skokie Boulevard around 2:30 p.m.

While no injuries were reported, one of the drivers fled the scene on foot before officers arrived, according to police.

A witness told officers that the hit-and-run motorist had gone into a home in the 3100 block of Lake Avenue. A homeowner confronted the man, who fled again, prompting a search of the area.

Wilmette police called for assistance from neighboring departments, including Northfield, Winnetka, Kenilworth and Niles, which provided a police dog that tracked the man to a nearby detached garage.

Officers found him hiding in the garage and took him into custody without further resistance, police said.

Although officers did not believe the man posed a danger to the public, they used ballistic shields as a precaution during the arrest.

The incident did not require Wilmette police to call on help from the Northern Illinois Police Alarm System suburban SWAT unit.

The man remains in custody pending further investigation, though police have not publicly released his identity pending approval of charges.