Wood Dale man accused of leading police on chase from Bensenville to Chicago and back
WHEATON, Ill. (CBS) -- Bond was set at $100,000 Tuesday for a Wood Dale man accused of leading police on a high-speed chase for an hour this week.
Prosecutors said the chase spanned from Bensenville to Chicago and back.
DuPage County Judge Daniel Guerin set the bond for Anthony Oplinger, 27. He is charged with aggravated fleeing and eluding a peace officer – a Class 4 Felony – and more than a dozen misdemeanor counts and traffic offenses, according to the DuPage County State's Attorney's office.
Prosecutors said at 10:08 p.m. Tuesday, Bensenville police spotted a car near Jefferson Street and Church Road that was wanted in an aggravated fleeing and eluding incident in Schiller Park last month, prosecutors said.
Officers turned on their emergency lights and sirens and began pursuing the car near Route 83. The car got onto the eastbound Eisenhower Expressway, at which point Illinois State Police pressed a helicopter and an airplane into service to monitor the car, prosecutors said.
The car, which Oplinger was driving, made it into the city of Chicago on the Eisenhower – only to return later to Route 83 in Bensenville, prosecutors said. At that point, Bensenville police began pursuing the car again, prosecutors said.
Officers put down spike strips, but Oplinger kept driving into unincorporated Addison – where he pulled into a random driveway, got out of the car, and ran off, prosecutors said.
Oplinger was arrested soon afterward, prosecutors said.
The pursuit lasted for about an hour, and Oplinger reached speeds of more than 100 mph, prosecutors said.
At the time of his arrest, Oplinger's license was suspended, prosecutors said.
"Mr. Oplinger had a fast car and didn't hesitate to run from the police, but yesterday, his luck ran out thanks to the collaborative efforts put forth by the officers from all the agencies involved," Bensenville police Chief Daniel Schulze said in a news release. "We are fortunate to have the unparalleled support of DuPage County State's Attorney Bob Berlin and his office who prosecute these types of cases to the fullest extent of the law."
Oplinger is due back in court for an arraignment on June 28.
