A silver Honda that was involved in a crash at the intersection on Harlem Avenue and Cermak Road in North Riverside on March 9 at about 9:05 p.m. had been stolen in Chicago on March 3, police have reported.

Nobody was seriously hurt in the crash, which touched off a manhunt northwest of the intersection through commercial and residential properties and the Jewish Waldheim Cemetery. Police were unable to locate either of the two people seen fleeing the scene on foot.

The driver of the other vehicle involved in the crash told police he was westbound on Cermak Road and was traveling through the intersection on a green light when the Honda turned in front of him.

He was able to drive his vehicle, a Volvo, out of traffic, but when he returned to the Honda, its occupants were gone. Two people were last seen fleeing toward Zeigler Ford, northwest of the intersection.

Police set up a perimeter and searched the area with the assistance of neighboring agencies and North Riverside’s K-9 unit, but were unable to locate any suspects.

Cops: DUI driver armed with pistol

A 56-year-old North Riverside man charged with drunken driving had a loaded handgun in his pocket at the time he was pulled over by police on March 3 just before 5 p.m.

A motorist waved down a Riverside patrol vehicle to tell the officer that a black Ford Taurus was driving all over the road while southbound on Harlem Avenue near 26th Street.

Police located the vehicle on Harlem Avenue near Longcommon Road, where an officer reported seeing it crossing over into the opposite lane of traffic. After being pulled over by police, the driver initially denied drinking. 

Instead, he reportedly said his erratic driving was due to high blood pressure or because he was still suffering from the effects of the cold after participating in the Polar Plunge at North Avenue beach in Chicago earlier in the day.

Police reported that the driver smelled of alcohol and appeared intoxicated. They also recovered a flask containing whiskey in one of his pockets, along with a vaping device with a small amount of cannabis. An open bottle of whiskey was also found inside the car.

Finally, police said the driver had a loaded 9 mm handgun in his front pocket. While the man had a valid concealed carry card, police said it is unlawful to carry a loaded weapon if a person is intoxicated.

Drove over stop sign

Riverside police cited a 19-year-old Berwyn man for several traffic offenses after he reportedly drove a black 2012 Hyundai onto the parkway and over a stop sign at the corner of Harlem Avenue and Lindberg Road while trying to avoid an oncoming vehicle on March 6 at about 8:30 a.m.

The driver told police he was northbound on Harlem Avenue waiting to turn left onto westbound Lindberg Road. A southbound vehicle was making a left turn onto eastbound 30th Street and the Hyundai began turning left at about the same time.

As he was turning, the driver of the Hyundai saw another southbound vehicle approaching rapidly, so he reportedly accelerated quickly, drove over the curb and struck the stop sign before entering Lindberg Road. Both driver’s side tires were flattened by the impact with the curb.

The driver called a tow truck, but a police officer noticed the unoccupied, disabled vehicle parked in the 400 block of Kent Road. A trail of engine fluid led the officer to the downed stop sign at Harlem and Lindberg.

A tow truck driver who arrived on the scene was able to identify the driver of the Hyundai for police. Police ticketed him for improper lane usage, damage to public property, failure to notify police of an accident and no proof of insurance.

Light bulb smasher

The owner of the property in the 4500 block of Park Avenue, Brookfield, contacted police on the morning of March 5 to report that someone had removed two coach lights on the exterior of her garage and smashed the bulbs on the ground.

Out cold

Brookfield police charged a 43-year-old Chicago man with driving under in influence of alcohol after finding him asleep inside of his vehicle, which was parked in the 3700 block of Prairie Avenue on March 9 at 1:30 a.m.

According to police, the man admitted to consuming alcohol and appeared visibly intoxicated.

These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Riverside, North Riverside and Brookfield police departments, March 3-10, and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Unless otherwise indicated, anybody named in these reports has only been charged with a crime. These cases have not been adjudicated.

— Compiled by Bob Uphues