Police: Man accused of driving 120 mph through Bensenville, downtown Elmhurst

An Oak Park man is being detained pretrial in connection with charges he drove up to 120 mph while trying to get away from police in Bensenville and Elmhurst, officials said.

Rashaad Simpson, 21, of the 1100 block of Washington Boulevard, is charged with two counts of aggravated fleeing and eluding a police officer, and several misdemeanor and petty traffic offenses, according to a news release from the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office.

A Bensenville police officer reported seeing a Honda Civic pass him on Route 83 around 10:53 p.m. Wednesday at a “high rate of speed.”

Police say the car went through a red light at Foster Avenue, made a U-turn and drove south on Route 83, the release stated.

Authorities say Simpson wove in and out of traffic and drove on a shoulder at speeds up to 120 mph. He drove on to I-290 east, then south on York Road into downtown Elmhurst, disobeying multiple stop signs and driving the wrong way on a one-way street, according to the release.

Officers stopped chasing him.

Simpson was found a short time later on North Avenue at Route 83, near where DuPage County sheriff’s deputies were conducting a “saturated patrol,” according to the petition for pretrial detention.

A police helicopter began following him on I-290, I-355 and I-390, where he exited at Thorndale Avenue to get on Route 83.

He parked on the 1000 block of North Busse Road in Elk Grove Village and was then taken into custody, according to the release.

In his detention order, DuPage County Judge Joshua Dieden stated, “This (the way Simpson allegedly drove) demonstrated a willingness to endanger multiple members of the community for his own personal gain.”