Two Women Charged After Chase Through Oak Brook Ends in Separate Crashes

The Charges

Mejia was charged with one count of aggravated fleeing and eluding, a Class 4 felony, along with multiple misdemeanor and petty traffic offenses. Valencia faces the same felony fleeing and eluding charge, the same set of lesser traffic offenses, and an additional Class 4 felony count of concealing or aiding a fugitive, which specifically targets her alleged role in interfering with the pursuit itself.

Both women appeared in DuPage County court, where a judge granted the state's motion to detain them pending trial. DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin didn't mince words in his public statement: "The allegations that these two defendants sped down an extremely busy road in excess of one hundred miles per hour are outrageous. What I find particularly alarming, however, is the allegation that Ms. Valencia interfered with the officer during the pursuit and ultimately crashed into the officer's squad car."

Why the Second Charge Matters

Valencia's "concealing or aiding a fugitive" charge is the more legally interesting piece of this case. Fleeing and eluding charges are common in high-speed chase cases, but a second, separate felony for actively assisting the fleeing driver, in this case by allegedly matching the officer's speed and position closely enough to interfere with the pursuit itself, is a less frequently seen add-on. It signals that prosecutors view her conduct as more than incidental; it's an intentional act that directly contributed to the officer being struck and injured.

This distinction matters for how the case will likely proceed. Mejia's exposure centers on her own reckless flight and the crash that resulted from it. Valencia's exposure is built around the theory that her actions were coordinated with Mejia's, and that the officer's injuries were a foreseeable consequence of that coordination, not simply an accident that happened to occur nearby.

What Started as a Minor Violation

It's worth pausing on how this began: expired plates and tinted windows, the kind of stop that happens thousands of times a day without incident. What turned it into a felony case with an injured officer and two totaled vehicles was the decision to flee rather than comply. That's a pattern worth understanding broadly: the underlying violation in most fleeing and eluding cases is minor. It's the decision to run, not the original infraction, that creates the real danger and the real legal consequences.

What Comes Next

Both women remain in custody pending trial. The DuPage County State's Attorney's Office will need to establish not just that Mejia fled and crashed, but that Valencia's conduct meets the legal threshold for aiding a fugitive, a more specific and higher bar than simple failure to yield. For the officer injured in the crash, workers' compensation typically covers on-duty injuries, though the circumstances here, an alleged deliberate act contributing to the collision, could also open the door to additional legal avenues depending on Illinois law regarding claims against private individuals whose conduct injures officers in the line of duty.

If you've been injured in a crash involving a fleeing driver or a police pursuit, the independent attorneys we connect you with can help you understand your legal options and pursue full accountability from everyone responsible.

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