A car side-swiped multiple vehicles causing considerable damage to them in the heart of downtown Naperville Thursday during a reported police pursuit, according to witnesses.
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Witnesses said a speeding vehicle traveling eastbound in the 100 block of West Jefferson Avenue side-swiped three vehicles in a row, which were traveling westbound Thursday afternoon about 1:30 p.m.
After hitting the three cars, the vehicle reportedly turned southbound on South Main Street, where it was reported to have hit two other vehicles near Main and Aurora before being stopped by police, according to witnesses.
The identity of the driver of the vehicle as well as the vehicle's make and model is unknown at this time.
Witnesses said the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed when it hit a black Ford Explorer as well as a tan Toyota Camry and a Chevy sedan, both of which were traveling behind the Explorer on West Jefferson.
The incident caused quite a scene as many shoppers out enjoying the spring weather in downtown Naperville gathered along the street to get a glimpse of the accident. Some local business owners had their doors propped open and heard the accident as it happened.
"The noise was ridiculous," said Anderson's Two Doors East employee Sally Blackburn. "People were screaming because they were seeing it and then the noise of the metal-on-metal was really just crazy."
After the incident, Naperville police had a portion of West Jefferson closed from South Main Street to South Webster Street as well as the intersection at Main and Aurora for about one hour.
Two vehicles with noticeable damage were being towed away from the scene shortly after 2 p.m. as city crews cleared shards of glass and debris from the street.
An employee of Elan Boutique, 143 W. Jefferson Ave., rushed out of the front door of the business after she heard tires squealing followed by the sound of an accident as the incident happened.
"I ran out the door because I'm like, 'somebody is hitting cars!,'" the employee said. "[The car] wiped everybody out. And as soon as I heard like a 'bam, bam, bam,' the cop passed my door here, so I think he might have been in pursuit."
The employee said she saw a police cruiser turning onto West Jefferson from South Webster, believed to be in pursuit of the vehicle when she exited the store.
"The first [car that was hit] was a [Explorer] and I went running up to [the driver], I had clothes in my hand, I threw them on the car and the whole side of his car was wiped out - his mirror was off, all of the glass was gone," she said.
"I got the door open, got the glass cleaned off the poor guy and he seemed to be OK and then the cops came [to help]."
It is unknown at this time if any of the drivers sustained injuries as a result of the multi-vehicle crash.
Naperville police were contacted Thursday and said they will provide more information this afternoon.
Patch will have more information as it becomes available.