Police Chase Leads to DUI, Resisting Arrest Charges for Plainfield Man

A Plainfield man is accused of DUI and driving more than 80 mph in a 55 mph zone after leading cops on a chase and getting in a fender-bender, police said.

Douglas Wells, 49, of the 24000 block of Joseph Avenue was apprehended after police received not one, but two calls about a drunken driver shortly before 3:30 p.m. May 29.

"He actually got called in by his daughter," Plainfield Sgt. Mike Fisher said, saying she told police her father was intoxicated when he left their home. A short time later, an employee at Bucky's Express, located near Route 59 and Route 126, also called police.

"The worker said [Wells] came stumbling in, had trouble walking, and opened a mason jar containing a clear liquid and took a drink," Fisher said. Wells' behavior also caught the attention of a Bucky's customer, police said.

"Another patron who saw him at the store followed him because he was so intoxicated," Fisher said. Officers located Wells' vehicle as he turned left from Route 126 to County Line Road, he said.

Instead of heeding police's signals for him to pull over, Wells sped up, Fisher said.

"He started passing other vehicles," Fisher said. After clocking him at more than 80 mph, officers stopped their pursuit, according to police.

"Based on traffic and everything else, our officers backed off because it was too dangerous," Fisher said. 

Police caught up to Wells when he became stuck in traffic at Caton Farm and County Line roads. 

Fisher said Wells refused to put his car in park, and had to be removed from the vehicle. In the process, police said he scuffled with officers and had to be taken to the ground.

"At one point, part of one officer's bullet-proof vest was ripped loose," Fisher said, adding it was not Well's first run-in with police.

"This subject does have a 'caution file,'" Fisher said, noting Wells in the past has assaulted police and, in once instance, threatened an officer with a knife.  

Because Wells' vehicle was not in park, it rolled forward and tapped the car in front of it at Caton Farm and County Line roads, Fisher said. There were no injuries in the crash, according to police, although Wells suffered minor abrasions during the incident.

Wells was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, reckless driving, aggravated fleeing (21 mph over the speed limit), illegal transportation of alcohol, aggravated battery and resisting a peace officer, according to Will County jail records.

He was released from the Will County jail after posting 10 percent of a $5,000 bond on June 2. According to court records, a pretrial date is set for June 13.

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