Police Follow Fluid Trail to Find Man Who Fled Crash Scene: Cops

A Crest Hill man's getaway was thwarted by the fluid trail left by his leaky car, police said.

Robert Johnson, 26, of 1825 Arbor Lane was jailed on charges of leaving the scene of a personal injury accident and driving with a revoked license.

Johnson was jailed two days before he was scheduled to get off parole. He was serving parole following a six-month stretch in prison for burglary.

Officers sent to the corner of Cass and Ottawa streets shortly after 9 a.m. Thursday to check out a crash learned one of the motorists had fled. One of the officers dispatched to the wreck then noticed a fresh fluid trail and followed it north.

The trail led to an abandoned 1992 Dodge Dynasty, police said, and a witness told the officer the driver had ditched the car and crossed the Ruby Street bridge on foot.

Another officer apprehended Johnson on the west side of the river and brought him back downtown where the injured motorist identified him, police said.

That motorist was treated at Presence St. Joseph Medical Center and released from care.

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