Dec 24, 2007 12:18 pm US/Central
Minivan Crashes Into Local Television Studio
CHICAGO (STNG) ―
A 25-year-old Evanston man has been charged for allegedly crashing a van into a television studio during a live broadcast Sunday night in the Loop.
Gerald Richardson, of the 700 block of Reba Pl. in Evanston, was charged with reckless driving and issued a citation for driving without insurance, according to police News Affairs Officer Wayne Frisbie.
Cook County State's Attorney's office spokeswoman Tandra Simonton said Monday Richardson has been charged with felony criminal damage to property. He will appear in holiday bond court on Tuesday at noon. The Class 1 felony charge carries a possible sentence of four to 15 years in prison, Simonton said.
Police were notified of a vehicle crashing into the WLS-Channel 7 studios, 190 N. State St., about 10 p.m., according to police News Affairs Officer David Banks.
"Ho!" anchor Ravi Baichwal yelled shortly after a silver-gray Mazda MPV minivan crashed into the studio two minutes into the 10 p.m. newscast.
Police are investigating what caused the van to jump the curb and slam into the studio's bullet-resistant glass, but a witness said the crash appeared deliberate. Nobody was injured, police said.
Steven Parnell, 37, a sergeant with STAR detective agency, said he was patrolling the CTA Red Line subway when his boss called him about a suspicious vehicle parked in the middle of State. Parnell came up, spotted the minivan and approached it.
"He waved me off and rolled up his window," Parnell said of the driver, who then briefly began driving up and down State making U-turns.
The man then drove into the studio's southeast corner -- about 15 to 20 feet from the anchor desk. The driver stayed in the car until police arrived and took him into custody.
Parnell heard him talking about how somebody "had killed his mother."
Regardless of what caused the crash, "the glass did exactly what it was supposed to do," ABC 7 General Manager Emily Barr said. Barr hoped to have the broken glass boarded up overnight.
"All of a sudden, our cozy little studio has a draft in it," Baichwal said later in the newscast. "This is a crazy situation that's happening here at ABC 7. ... Some onlookers say that this seemed to be an intentional act by the driver."
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(Source: Sun-Times News Group Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2006. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
