Fleeing a DUI Stop in Illinois

 Posted on March 14, 2024 in DUI

Being pulled over after you have been drinking can be frightening and can sometimes cause drivers to make poor decisions due to their panic. When you see a police officer behind your vehicle with their emergency red-and-blue lights flashing, you are legally required to pull over as soon as you can safely do so. While it is understandable that some intoxicated drivers may resist stopping out of fear of being charged with a DUI, doing so can lead to additional charges for fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer. Having these charges, in addition to a DUI, can put you in a more complicated legal position and make it more likely that you will face harsher treatment from the court and a more serious sentence, which could include jail time that would have been avoidable had you stopped. It is important to immediately seek the advice of an Arlington Heights criminal defense attorney.

What Happens if I Did Not Notice the Officer Trying to Stop Me? 

It does sometimes happen that a person simply fails to notice that there is a police officer trying to pull him or her over for several moments. After attempting to use lights only to start a traffic stop, most police officers will then turn their sirens on. It may be difficult to see emergency lights alone if there is a rainstorm or blizzard. Not noticing sirens, however, is harder to explain unless you can prove that you are deaf or hard of hearing or were listening to music at an unlawful volume.

Even if the court does believe that you genuinely did not realize you were being pulled over, this can be used as evidence to support the fact that you were intoxicated.

What if I Just Refused to Pull Over? 

You could be charged with fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, which is normally a misdemeanor. However, endangering others or breaking other traffic laws can lead to additional charges, especially if you prompted a high-speed chase or caused an accident in the process. Fleeing or eluding can include actions like: 

• Continuing to drive, feigning obliviousness, 
• Speeding up,
• Making sudden turns in an effort to lose the officer, 
• Abruptly exiting the freeway, 
• Making a U-turn, or
• Pulling over, then driving away after the officer exits his vehicle. 

Taking these steps to avoid arrest can result in more charges in addition to the DUI.

Contact a Cook County, IL DUI Lawyer 

Scott F. Anderson, Attorney at Law is committed to providing powerful criminal defense services to people facing DUI and other charges in Illinois. Skilled Arlington Heights, IL criminal defense attorney Scott Anderson, who has more than 25 years of experience, will work to present the strongest possible defense on your behalf. Contact us at 847-253-3400 for a complimentary consultation.