Murder suspect led Kane deputies on 40-mile high-speed chase on Interstate 88

ST. CHARLES TOWNSHIP – Before he was caught on Interstate 88, a DeKalb murder suspect led Kane County deputies and Illinois State Police on a 40-mile high-speed chase – at times at 100 miles an hour – as they and state troopers assisted DeKalb police in catching him, according to police reports.

The driver, Calvin Hamilton, 40, of the 800 block of Spiros Court, DeKalb, is currently being held without bond on a first-degree murder charge in DeKalb County.

In Kane County, Hamilton was also charged Feb. 24 with felony aggravated fleeing a police officer and misdemeanor charges of fleeing a police officer, driving on a revoked license, improper use of registration – the license plate on his Jeep belonged to a red Chevrolet convertible – and speeding 26 to 34 miles an hour over the limit, according to Kane County Sheriff’s reports and court records.

The speed limit on I-88 is 65 miles an hour.

Kane deputies were sent to help DeKalb police and state troopers catch a gray Jeep Grand Cherokee traveling east on I-88 toward Route 47 shortly after midnight on Feb. 24, the report stated.

A deputy set up a handheld spike strip near the exit ramp of Route 31 and observed as the Jeep drove over the spike strip – which deflated its front tire – but the Jeep, driven by Hamilton, continued east on I-88 at approximately 100 miles an hour, the report stated.

Hamilton slowed to approximately 80 miles an hour as the Jeep approached Naperville Road. A deputy drove alongside the passenger side of the Jeep and activated a mobile strike strip from the squad’s front bumper, the report stated.

The spike struck the Jeep’s rear passenger side tire and it began to slow down to about 50 miles an hour as it approached Highland Avenue, the report stated.

“I drove in front of the Jeep and applied my brakes while three Illinois State Troopers drove on either side of the Jeep and behind the Jeep to box it in,” the report stated. “The Jeep came to a complete stop on I-88 and Highland Avenue for approximately five seconds before driving away eastbound on I-88 after driving around my squad car.”

As Hamilton continued to drive the Jeep eastbound on I-88, the deputy drove next to the passenger side and again deployed the mobile spike unit, hitting the rear passenger side tire for a second time, the report stated.

The Jeep slowed to approximately 40 miles an hour and was finally stopped by a trooper who did what is known as a PIT maneuver – Precision Immobilization Technique – where the officer sideswipes the rear of a pursuit vehicle to cause it to spin out.

The maneuver was successful as the Jeep crashed into the concrete barrier in the center of I-88 and came to a complete stop, the report stated.

Hamilton was finally apprehended around milepost 134 near Midwest Road in DuPage County close to Oak Brook.

Deputies assisted DeKalb officers in taking Hamilton into their custody, the report stated.

Hamilton has not yet had a court appearance scheduled in Kane County, nor an attorney of record.

Hamilton’s DeKalb public defender Charles Chriswell said he would not comment.