Police: Man threatens another driver with firearm, crashes car

WAUKEGAN – A Beach Park man is facing charges in connection with threatening another driver with a gun and crashing his own vehicle Aug. 19 in unincorporated Waukegan, police said.

About 10:20 p.m. Aug. 19, Lake County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a single-vehicle crash in the area of Delany Road north of Yorkhouse Road in unincorporated Waukegan. Sheriff’s deputies found a Ford Mustang down an embankment and engulfed in flames, according to a news release.

The driver of the vehicle, Joseph Ebler, 28, of the 11300 block of West Wadsworth Road, Beach Park, initially fled from the scene on foot, police said. Sheriff’s deputies found him nearby a short time later. Ebler was uncooperative with deputies, appeared impaired and suffered minor injuries in the crash.

Further investigation revealed that Ebler had just been involved in a traffic altercation with a 40-year-old Gurnee man in the area of Wadsworth Road and Delany Road in Wadsworth.

During the altercation, Ebler allegedly brandished a pistol and threatened to shoot the victim, while the two were stopped at a stoplight, police said. The victim fled south in his vehicle and Ebler followed him, pulled next to him and pointed the firearm toward him. Ebler then lost control of his vehicle and crashed into the embankment.

When Ebler did not have the firearm on his person when sheriff’s deputies were speaking to him, Sheriff’s K-9 Dax was requested to the scene. Dax conducted an article search and found Ebler’s firearm, a Glock 29, about 150 feet from his vehicle in the area Ebler initially fled, police said.

Ebler was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated DUI and leaving the scene of an accident.

Ebler was being held in the Lake County Jail.