COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — A tow truck driver who came to the aid of a couple whose car broke down on the Dan Ryan Expy. could only watch as they got into the cab of his truck and drove off, leaving him stranded, prosecutors said.
What's worse — they drove over his foot as they got away, according to the towing company.
"It's just unbelievable," XL Towing owner Sherry DiVito said Thursday. "They ran over my driver's foot; they left him on the highway. He could've been killed."
The driver invited three people stranded on the side of the road to get into the cab of the tow truck so they wouldn't be exposed to dangerous traffic on the busy Dan Ryan, DiVito said.
But while the driver was putting their car on the hook, the tow truck drove off — with the busted Nissan Murano dragging behind it, prosecutors said.
Raekwon Shack, 19, is accused of speeding away in the stolen truck.
The driver had been called to the Dan Ryan near 87th Street on Wednesday to help Shack's girlfriend, 20-year-old Keia Street, whose 2000 Nissan Murano needed a tow, court records show.
Though the driver was expecting two people, he was greeted by Street, Shack and another man, DiVito said.
Since "cars come whipping around on the Dan Ryan like they're in the Indy 500," DiVito said, the driver suggested the three clients sit inside his tow truck while he worked. "He wanted to keep them out of harm's way because [that road] is dangerous."
But as the driver attached the Murano to his truck, prosecutors said, Shack hopped in the driver's seat of the tow truck and sped off — running over the driver's foot with the trailer in the process.
Based on GPS data, the tow truck headed north to 71st Street, where it exited the expressway and stopped, DiVito said.
The tow truck driver, meanwhile, used his cellphone to call for help. Once DiVito knew the driver was OK, she said, the longtime owner called police and provided them with GPS tracking info for the stolen truck.
Just before 8 p.m. Wednesday, police found Street, Shack and their accomplice trying to unhook the Murano from the tow truck in the 7000 block of South Wabash Avenue, according to an arrest report.
"They were apparently having a hard time trying to figure out how to get the car off the tow truck," DiVito said with a laugh.
All three suspects took off running, police said, but officers were able to arrest Street and Shack.
The couple appeared in bond court Thursday on charges of theft and possession of a motor vehicle. Shack is also charged with battery, reckless conduct, driving on a suspended license and driving without insurance.
"I don't know what the heck they were thinking," DiVito said Thursday.
"There was a huge liability for everybody out there," she continued. "You've got somebody who doesn't know how to operate the equipment. And what if there's a high-speed pursuit? What if they tried to whip around a corner? The truck could've rolled."
DiVito said she's glad she invested in GPS tracking and was impressed by the response from the Chicago Police Department. It would also be nice, she added with a laugh, if Shack "could pay me for the damn tow."
According to Assistant State's Attorney Erin Antonietti, Shack, of the 5500 block of South Wabash Avenue, has juvenile convictions for aggravated battery, burglary and theft. This is his first adult arrest.
Street, of the 7600 block of South Evans Avenue, has no other criminal background.
Cook County Judge Donald Panarese Jr. on Thursday said Shack and Street could be released on their own recognizance pending trial.
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