Chicago woman charged after wrong-way chase, attempted carj…
Police Pursuit Crash Franklin Illinois in Franklin, Illinois: Lee County deputies say Samara Russell, 37, of Chicago, was reported as a wrong-way driver on westbound Interstate 88 shortly after 1 p.m. on Sunday, June 28, 2026. Her gray 2025 Hyundai sideswiped another vehicle before exiting at the Franklin Road emergency access point. While Illinois State Police tried to stop the vehicle, the driver fled and the chase was called off for safety reasons. Deputies then received 911 calls reporting a woman matching Russell's description attempting to carjack drivers with a gun along Route 38 west of Franklin Grove. When officers caught up to the Hyundai on Illinois Route 38 near Detour Road, Russell allegedly pointed a gun at deputies before an Amboy police officer tackled her. She was taken to a hospital and, upon release, was to be detained at the Lee County Jail pending a detention hearing.