Elmhurst man accused of fleeing from police following crash: prosecutors

A motion was approved Friday to deny pre-trial release for an Elmhurst man charged with fleeing from police and injuring an officer during his arrest, prosecutors said.

Gratas Zvirblis, 21, of the 900 block of Spring Road, is charged with one count of aggravated fleeing and eluding a police officer, one count of resisting a police officer causing injury and more than a dozen misdemeanor and petty traffic offenses including DUI and leaving the scene of an accident involving damage to an attended vehicle, according to a DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office news release.

Zvirblis currently has an outstanding warrant for his arrest for aggravated assault and disorderly conduct charges, according to the release.

About 9:17 p.m. Oct. 24, Lombard police responded to a crash on Interstate 88 involving a gray BMW that had allegedly fled the scene eastbound on Butterfield Road, authorities said.

Police located the BMW, allegedly driven by Zvirblis, eastbound on Butterfield and Meyers roads. The vehicle was being driven on just one of its rims. Zvirblis allegedly failed to stop after police activated their emergency lights and siren, according to the release.

Zvirblis allegedly made his way to Spring Road, where he rear-ended another vehicle causing damage. He continued to flee but exited his vehicle and began running westbound in the 900 block of Spring Road in Elmhurst. Police continued pursuing Zvirblis on foot.

Zvirblis allegedly attempted to jump over a fence, but a police officer grabbed him causing both men to fall to the ground. Zvirblis allegedly resisted the officer’s attempts to handcuff him and during the struggle, the officer injured his left elbow. Zvirblis was arrested. He had an odor of alcohol, bloodshot eyes and slurred speech, according to the release.

“The allegations that Mr. Zvirblis not only fled from police in his car and through a residential neighborhood on foot, but then fought with the officer as he was being placed under arrest, causing injury to the officer, are outrageous,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in the release. “Equally upsetting is the fact that at the time of his arrest, Mr. Zvirblis was facing an active arrest warrant regarding allegations of aggravated assault following a road rage incident. The type of conduct alleged against Mr. Zvirblis in both these cases will not be tolerated in DuPage County.”

Zvirblis’ next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 18 for arraignment.