Kankakee, IL – Police responded to a tense situation involving a suicidal driver in River Road Park on Sunday evening. The incident began around 8:17 PM when a maroon vehicle was reported driving erratically through the park, near where children were playing.
According to the Kankakee Police Department, a witness flagged down an officer and indicated the vehicle was heading toward Kankakee Community College at a high speed. The officer found the truck stuck near the riverbank, its rear tires submerged in water. The driver, who refused to show his hands, appeared to be in distress.
Additional police units, including Kankakee County Emergency Response Team and a hostage negotiator, were called to the scene. Police determined that the driver was suicidal and in need of medical attention. Negotiations continued for several hours, with police repeatedly attempting to calm the individual.
The standoff concluded peacefully when officers successfully extracted the driver from the vehicle. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment of self-inflicted wounds and mental health issues.
The Kankakee Police Department expressed gratitude to multiple agencies, including the Kankakee Fire Department, Kankakee County Sheriff’s Department, Bradley Police Department, Bourbonnais Police Department, and Kankakee County E.R.T., for their assistance in resolving the situation peacefully.
