Camera captures man on hood trying to stop driver in Riverside after crash

Oct. 14--A Chicago man involved in a traffic crash Tuesday jumped onto the hood of the fleeing car that collided with his van and stayed there while its driver tried to throw him off by doing U-turns on a major west suburban roadway, police said.

Images of the incident were captured on camera by a worker doing roof repairs at a nearby White Castle. He provided police with photos as evidence, according to a news release from the Riverside Police Department.

The 44-year-old man who was on the hood eventually disembarked on his own, but the driver, also from Chicago, then allegedly confronted him with a crowbar before police arrived and intervened, police said.

Following a "lengthy investigation," Jacob D. Joyce, 21, of the 5800 block of North Harlem Avenue, who recently moved from New Jersey, was charged with aggravated assault, reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, driving while license suspended, driving without insurance and other traffic offenses, according to Riverside police.

The incident began about 9:15 a.m. when Joyce's car, a 1992 Honda, was changing lanes and collided with a 1999 Toyota van in the 3400 block of South Harlem in Riverside, police said.

Both drivers pulled over, and when the driver of the van got out of his vehicle to approach Joyce, Joyce drove away south on Harlem, police said.

The other driver returned to his van, called 911 and caught up to Joyce near Harlem and Ogden avenues. Again, he got out of his vehicle to confront Joyce. After Joyce again tried to drive away, the man jumped on the hood and was able to stay there while Joyce, according to reports, did "two continuous U-turns" in the 3700 block of Harlem near Ogden, police said.

The van's driver held onto the hood the entire time but eventually got off when the car stopped about a minute later, police said. When the first officer arrived, he found Joyce "holding a crowbar in his hand threatening" the other man, according to the news release.

Both men were separated and detained while police from Riverside and Lyons conducted their initial investigation. During the investigation the man who had been doing repair work at the White Castle restaurant came forth with what police said were photos of the van's driver on the hood of Joyce's car, according to the release.

The driver of the van was not injured, police said.

"I am extremely thankful that the victim was not injured," Riverside police Chief Tom Weitzel said. "I do not encourage anyone to put themselves in harm's way when it comes to following an offender."

He said people involved in such incidents should call 911, copy down a description of the vehicle and its license plates, and follow at a safe speed.

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