A driver fleeing Highland Park police crashed into a wooded area along Route 41 in Lake Forest and was seriously injured early Thursday, June 25, shutting down the highway for several hours, Lake Forest police said.

Highland Park Communications Manager Amanda Bennett said the pursuit began south of Park Avenue West after an officer observed a gray Volkswagen Passat driving below the speed limit and weaving. The officer asked the driver to turn off the vehicle and exit, but the driver put the car in drive and fled northbound on Route 41, Bennett said. The officer broadcast a fleeing-and-eluding and possible DUI alert through the Illinois State Police Emergency Radio Network.

Lake Forest Deputy Police Chief Kevin Zelk said officers located the Volkswagen a short time later after it had crashed east of Route 41, north of Westleigh Road. The driver, described only as an adult male, had exited the vehicle and was attempting to flee on foot despite his injuries. Officers detained him, and the Lake Forest Fire Department transported him to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville.

The Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team was activated due to the severity of the crash and has assumed the lead role in the investigation, working with Lake Forest police, according to Zelk. Route 41 remained closed while the scene was processed.

No charges have been announced. "Further details cannot be released at this time," Zelk said.

The crash location, north of Westleigh Road, is the same stretch of Route 41 where a semi-tractor-trailer rolled over in January 2026, also closing the highway for hours. MCAT was separately activated earlier in June after a driver died fleeing police in Round Lake Beach.