16-year-old arrested after leading officers on chase through Jackson Co. | Crime

CARBONDALE, IL (KFVS) - A 16-year-old wanted after evading police and driving dangerously to avoid them has been arrested in Dowell, Ill.

On Monday, July 2 at 1:37 p.m. police responded to a call of a mentally disturbed juvenile driving to Carbondale from DeSoto and being followed by a parent. Officers tried to stop the green Chevrolet Silverado, but they say the juvenile evaded them by committing several moving violations. Police say the teen took the truck from his father without permission and does not have a license.

According to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, the teen refused to yield to police vehicles and ignored various traffic signals as it continued southbound on US Highway 51 before turning onto Lincoln Drive on Southern Illinois University's campus.

Due to the inherent danger of chasing the car at that time of day, police say they stopped trying to stop the truck as it drove onto the SIU campus.

The truck was found on McLafferty Road and Chautauqua Road by a Jackson County deputy. The sheriff's office says the teen again refused to stop. The truck continued onto New Highway 13 into Murphysboro and continued north on Highway 127 from Murphysboro.

Jackson County Sheriff's Office deputies were told of the situation and tried to stop the car at Country Club Road and Route 13 but were unsuccessful.

According to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, the truck was found in a cornfield off Chamness Road south of Dowell Road. They say the 16-year-old driver was not with the truck. He was later arrested by Dowell Police Department and Elkville Police Department within the city limits of Dowell.

The teen was arrested for aggravated fleeing to elude and an active Illinois Department of Corrections warrant, as well as multiple traffic citations.

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