Prosecutors claimed in court that a 32-year-old man who is suspected of seriously hurting a pedestrian while escaping from police in a car later looked for tips on how to hide a Jaguar online.
Around 5 p.m. on February 2, Antonio Jackson was being chased by an Illinois State Police trooper on the city’s South Side when he reportedly ran a red light at 83rd Street and Lafayette Avenue and struck a man at high speed.
The victim was traveling east on 83rd Street when Jackson’s white Jaguar vehicle sped through the red light, sending the pedestrian flying into the air and across the intersection, according to a detention petition. Unmoving, he landed close to the curb.
Prosecutors claim that after the pursuit, a Chicago police unit pulled over to help the victim while Jackson drove off. The individual was hospitalized at the University of Chicago Medical Center for approximately four weeks after suffering many shattered bones and internal injuries, according to the detention application. After that, he was taken to an inpatient rehabilitation center, where he received more care for three to four weeks until his insurance expired. According to the prosecution, he needed up to five surgeries and still has pain and limited movement.
According to ISP, troops replied to a pedestrian-involved hit-and-run incident online without disclosing that the hit-and-run motorist was being chased by the troops.
Investigators immediately linked Jackson to the collision. He was the registered owner of the Jaguar, which state police found the next day with new front-end damage, according to the prosecution. For proof, ISP had the car towed.
Jackson’s phone was also inspected by detectives, who found that he was actively using it both during the pursuit and at the moment of the collision, according to the prosecution. His presence along the pursue route was purportedly verified by the device’s location data.
Jackson allegedly sent screenshots of the Citizen app’s reportage of the Jaguar evading police over Facebook Messenger, which were purportedly on the phone. According to the detention filing, his search history included several questions about the collision, such as which Chicago Police district might look into it and terms like “how to stash a Jaguar.”
According to the report, Jackson denied any participation, saying he frequently leaves the keys in his numerous cars.
He faces charges of failing to report a personal injury accident and fleeing the scene of one. Jackson will remain in custody while the case is being handled since Judge Luciano Panici Jr. accepted the prosecutors’ motion for detention.
