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Champaign driver injured when his vehicle was hijacked


Police lights (WICS)
Police lights (WICS)
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Police are investigating a vehicle hijacking that happened at 7:19 p.m. on Wednesday at the intersection of Prospect Avenue and Olympian Drive in Champaign.

When officers arrived at the scene, a 67-year-old man from Champaign reported he had been rear-ended by an SUV.

After the man pulled over to exchange information, the SUV’s occupants got out their vehicle wearing masks, then flashed a firearm, and demanded money. When the victim complied, the suspects struck him in the face with the weapon, according to the Champaign Police Department.

The suspects then fled, taking the victim’s car and their SUV from the scene. They were last seen heading westbound toward Interstate 57.

The stolen vehicle is described as a gray Toyota Avalon with license plate ZZ64404. The victim reported minor injuries, including a broken tooth.

The hijacked vehicle was reported to area law enforcement agencies, including the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office and Illinois State Police.

No arrests have been made at this time, and the investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with additional information should police call 217-351-4545. Arrangements can be made for information to be shared privately. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may also submit tips to Crime Stoppers by phone at: 217-373-8477 (TIPS); online at 373tips.com; or the “P3 Tips” mobile app.

Information submitted to Crime Stoppers is anonymous. Calls are routed to a third-party national call center that receives your information, completes a tips information form, and then passes the information to the appropriate law enforcement agency. Caller ID tracking is not utilized by Crime Stoppers and conversations are not recorded.

Crime Stoppers will pay cash rewards of $5,000 for tips that lead to an arrest in any homicide case, $2,500 for tips leading to an arrest in a felony crime involving a firearm, and up to $1,000 for tips leading to the arrest of the person(s) responsible for any other crime.

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