A 20-year-old from Freeport was arrested after trying to flee from law enforcement, leading to a chase and an accident that left another person with serious injuries.

According to the Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office, at approximately 12:25 p.m. on Sunday, June 7, a complaint was received regarding a reckless driver operating a blue Chevrolet pickup truck on Illinois Route 75 near Eggert Road.

A Stephenson County Sheriff’s Deputy located the vehicle and observed it committing multiple traffic violations, including passing several vehicles in no-passing zones while traveling at a high rate of speed.

The driver was identified as Connor C. Harden, age 20, of Freeport.

When the deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop, the driver failed to stop and instead fled from law enforcement.

After failing to stop for law enforcement, the vehicle traveled through several Stephenson County communities before ultimately reaching the City of Freeport. During the incident, Sheriff’s Office personnel deployed tire deflation devices on two separate occasions in an effort to safely end the incident.

During one deployment, the suspect vehicle left the roadway, traveled through a ditch, became airborne, struck and destroyed a stop sign, and continued fleeing.

The incident ultimately concluded in Freeport when the suspect vehicle was involved in a crash near the intersection of West Avenue and Youngs Lane. One occupant of the other vehicle sustained serious injuries and was transported for medical treatment. No law enforcement officers were injured during the incident.

The Illinois State Police responded to the scene and assumed responsibility for the traffic crash investigation. Any additional information regarding the crash investigation should be directed to the Illinois State Police.

Following the investigation, Harden was arrested and charged with:

● Aggravated Fleeing to Elude a Peace Officer (2 Counts) — Felony

● Aggravated Reckless Driving — Felony

● Duty Upon Damaging Unattended Vehicle or Other Property — Misdemeanor

● Speeding 35 MPH or More Over the Posted Speed Limit — Misdemeanor

Following processing at the Stephenson County Jail, Harden was released with a future court date in accordance with the provisions of the Illinois Pretrial Fairness Act.