Vernon Hills woman's attempt at avoiding speeding ticket fails
A Vernon Hills woman faces charges of eluding police and could have her car seized after she left her vehicle and ran through a restaurant to evade officers, officials said.
Tone Harag, 28, of the 200 block of Southfield Drive, has been cited for speeding, eluding police, driving on a revoked license and driving an uninsured vehicle following the Aug. 20 incident, Mundelein police Cmdr. John Monahan said.
Monahan said Harag was heading south on Butterfield Road at 12:03 p.m. when an officer traveling in the opposite direction clocked her speeding on his radar gun.
As the officer pulled a U-turn, Harag turned into a strip mall at the corner of Butterfield Road and Route 60, parked in front of a restaurant, got out of her vehicle and ran inside, Monahan said.
Moments later, the officer parked his squad car behind Harag's vehicle and entered the restaurant, Monahan said, but could not locate Harag.
"He spoke with an employee who said the woman ran through the restaurant, into the kitchen and out the back door," Monahan said. "The officer went out back to look for her, but couldn't find her."
After searching behind the strip mall, officers began speaking with other shop owners in the vicinity, Monahan said.
Employees of a nearby carpet store said Harag had come into the store and looked around, spoke with someone on a cell phone, then was picked up by an unknown driver in front of the store 10 minutes later.
But, back at the car, Monahan said police ran the license plates, linked Harag to the vehicle, then called her asking her to turn herself in. Police towed Harag's vehicle and continue to hold it.
Monahan said Harag turned herself in to police Aug. 21.
Monahan said the woman's license was revoked in 2008 after being convicted of DUI. He said police will attempt to seize her vehicle under a state law that enables authorities to keep the automobile of a person caught driving on a revoked license that was suspended due to a DUI.
Harag's next court date is Sept. 17.