One of the strangest videos to go viral in Chicago this week showed one of the slowest police pursuits in history. The video showed the driver of a hoopty minivan crawling along a four-lane street, weaving in and out of construction cones and going the wrong way—all at approximately 2 mph—while a swarm of Chicago police patrol cars zigged and zagged in an attempt to contain him.
After seeing the clip, we had to figure out what was going on. And we did.
Early Wednesday morning, Humboldt Park’s streets resembled a scenario from a (very) low-budget action film, replete with a minivan, a crack pipe, and a motorist determined to take the scenic route—on the sidewalk.
You may have seen it in a viral video online. We were tasked with investigating the incident.
Around 6:30 a.m., Chicago police officers saw a strange scene in the 3700 block of West Chicago Avenue, resulting in a chase that was less “Fast and Furious” and more “Slow and Slightly Confused.”
According to a CPD report, detectives noticed 33-year-old Sonny Costello of Burbank driving a Town & Country minivan, “holding a glass cylinder pipe…used to ingest illicit narcotics.”
The cops stated that they went out to speak with Costello and observed as he stuffed suspected crack cocaine into the pipe, lighted it, and started smoking.
When they asked him to step out, Costello allegedly decided that the best course of action was to crawl out. He put the minivan into drive, leaped the curb, and set out on a leisurely journey.
Cops started on a (very) low-speed chase, believing it was “imperative” to stop Costello from driving while intoxicated, which would endanger others.
According to the police report, the next pursuit was more of a parade than a chase, with Costello weaving along Drake, Huron, and then south on Central Park, bypassing stop signs as if they were mere suggestions. He went the wrong way down Lawndale and eventually collided with a patrol car, causing his van to blow smoke near the 3700 block of West Chicago Avenue.
The video shows officers running to the van, one with a rifle pulled. Another officer attempted, unsuccessfully, to break the passenger window of the vehicle with her baton. Costello quickly found himself in handcuffs.
He is now facing a slew of accusations, including aggravated DUI without a license, criminal damage to government property (the police car he reportedly hit), possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of dangerous substances. He also received citations for driving the wrong way, driving on a sidewalk, operating an uninsured vehicle, reckless driving, running three stop signs, and failing to wear a seatbelt during his daring escape attempt.
Judge John Hock freed him pending trial.
