Off-duty Chicago police officer dies in crash in Arlington Heights after speeding away from traffic stop

An off-duty Chicago police officer was killed when he crashed his SUV after speeding away from a traffic stop in Arlington Heights early Monday, authorities said.

He was identified as Jose L. Castro, 29, from the Northwest Side, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

An officer from Rolling Meadows noticed Castro’s Toyota 4Runner speeding on Algonquin Road just before the border with Arlington Heights around 1 a.m., police said.

The officer tried to pull over the 4Runner, but the car sped north on Wilke Road, Arlington Heights police said. The officer did not pursue the car, police said.

When the 4Runner reached Kirchoff Road, it left the road and struck a utility pole, sending the car across Kirchoff Road, tumbling “end over end” into a backyard in the 600 block of south Reuter, police said.

Castro died at Lutheran General Hospital, authorities said. His 33-year-old passenger was treated and released from Northwest Community Hospital. There were no other injuries.

“While speed was clearly a factor in the crash, impairment was also suspected but not confirmed,” police said in the statement.