Crime & Safety
Mokena Teen Charged With Fleeing Crash That Took Out Power Lines
Philip Preston, 19, of the 11300 block of Hummingbird Lane, Mokena, was also charged with underage drinking, police said.
Some homes lost power for a few minutes, but no one was hurt in a crash early Monday morning that took out a utility pole, closing La Porte Road for most of the Fourth of July, police said.
Philip Preston, 19, of the 11300 block of Hummingbird Lane, Mokena, was charged with underage drinking, leaving the scene of an accident with vehicle damage, failure to report an accident, driving without insurance, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and driving off the roadway following the 4:41 a.m. crash that took out power lines by the curve of La Porte between Schoolhouse and LaGrange roads, Mokena Police Cmdr. Dan Rankovich said.
"He ran from the scene and they got him later," Rankovich said.
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Preston was released on a $3,000 I-bond.
The pole knocked down in the crash carried ComEd, AT&T and Comcast lines. Neighbors told Patch power went out for about two to three minutes.
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La Porte was closed for about 10 hours after the crash, with westbound lanes opening first, Rankovich said. All lanes were open by 9 p.m. Monday, he said.
Traffic, including cars headed to Mokena's July 4 festivities in Main Park on La Porte Road, were detoured through the nearby neighborhoods.
Rankovich said ComEd workers finished repairs Monday night, but that AT&T and Comcast workers were still on the scene as of 10 a.m. Tuesday.
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