May 13, 2008 6:03 am US/Central
Witnesses: Deadly Crash Followed Police Chase
SUV Slams Into Tree In Villa Park
VILLA PARK, Ill. (CBS) ―
What neighbors believe was a police chase in west suburban Villa Park came to a deadly end late Monday when a driver rammed into a tree.
As CBS 2's Joanie Lum reports, the unidentified female motorist was killed in the crash at Plymouth Street and Douglas Avenue around 11:20 p.m. The intersection is in a residential neighborhood where the speed limit would be 25 mph.
The vehicle hit a tree at a high rate of speed and wound up wrapped around it. Witnesses said it looked like it was traveling at least 60 mph, maybe more.
The sound of the crash had everybody running out of their houses to see what happened.
Police were on the scene in seconds, so witnesses assume officers were following the vehicle when it crashed.
A neighbor, Bob Guare, ran out to help.
"We heard a big crash. Me and my wife got out and looked out the bedroom window and saw the cops, and we looked out the front window and saw the car smashed up against the tree, so we ran outside and heard the cops yelling for somebody to get a bucket of water because there was a fire," Guare said.
One witness claims the driver was seen at a convenience store about a mile and a half away from the crash scene, and was acting intoxicated. The witness said the clerk at the store tried unsuccessfully to stop the woman from getting in the car, and called the police after the woman left.
Villa Park police have not confirmed that narrative.
The woman was driving a 2008 Dodge Magnum, which was mangled beyond recognition as crews put it up on a flatbed tow truck to take it away about six hours later.
Anyone with information about the woman's identity is asked to contact the DuPage County Coroner's office at (630) 407-2600 or the Villa Park police department at (630) 834-7447.
CBS 2's Joanie Lum and the STNG Wire contributed to this report.
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