What Happens In Zion Should Probably Stay In Zion

A 45-year-old Alabama man is facing charges after he allegedly fled from Caledonia police officers after they spotted him speeding in the village.

Anthony W. Phillips, of Sylvania, Ala., was charged in Racine County Circuit Court Tuesday with one count of attempting to flee an officer. If convicted, he faces up to 3 ½ years in prison and $10,000 in fines.

According to the criminal complaint:

Two Caledonia police officers were in their squads Sunday and monitoring traffic in the 4200 block of North Main Street, when they saw Phillips drive by northbound doing 54 miles per hour in a 35 miles per hour speed zone. Phillips continued to speed as officers tried to catch up as he turned westbound onto 4 Mile Road, then onto Erie Street and then left onto Sara Lane.

As the officer turned onto Sara, he spotted Phillips now driving in the opposite direction. He turned on his emergency lights and Phillips slowed to 10 to 15 miles per hour, so the officer tried to turn around in a driveway, but Phillips then nearly hit the squad and sped off.

Phillips drove southbound on Erie, then turned and parked in the driveway of a home in the 500 block of Ber Wil Drive. When officers approached the car it was empty and the owners of the home said they didn’t know who owned the car, but Phillips’ wallet was inside.

Officers contacted the owner of the car who said he’s Phillips’ father-in-law and is staying at a hotel in Zion, Ill. He said Phillips got into an argument with his wife about being intoxicated, so he grabbed the keys to the car and drove off.

The man said Phillips is on federal probation and is wearing a GPS monitoring bracelet. Officers tracked the GPS unit back to Zion and the man called back saying Phillips had returned to the hotel.

Phillips then turned himself in to Caledonia police.

He’s currently being held in Racine County Jail on a $5,000 signature bond while awaiting trial.