Nicholas Eich, 22, of the 1900 block of North Verde Drive, allegedly stole the car from the home of an acquaintance that resides in the 1900 block of North Pinetree Drive.
The acquaintance reported that a custom purple PT Cruiser was stolen from the driveway between 1:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. Saturday. Arlington Heights police put out a bulletin to police departments statewide. Saturday night, Forest Park police discovered the vehicle as a hit for a stolen vehicle and attempted to initiate a traffic stop by activating the emergency lights of the squad car, but Nicholas Eich took off, and ended up smashing through a dead-end at 16th Street into Waldheim Cemetery.
The PT Cruiser went airborne and ended up on its side — wedged between two cemetery monuments. The roof was ripped back from the vehicle and Eich was ejected during the crash. He was transported in custody to MacNeil Hospital in Berwyn.
Forest Park police charged Eich with fleeing to allude police, criminal damage to property and possession of a stolen motor vehicle. He was also cited for several traffic violations.
Apparently Nicholas Eich knew how to access the keys to the PT Cruiser at his neighbor’s house, after entering the house illegally. Arlington Heights police are expecting to charge him with residential burglary, when he is released from MacNeil Hospital in Berwyn, where he was transported Saturday night.