WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Ill. -- A man is in jail facing several charges after allegedly stealing a vehicle and leading police on a pursuit which ended after the vehicle hit a deputy's patrol unit.
The Williamson County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) said on Thursday at about 5:07 p.m., WCSO deputies were notified there were deputies in Saline County that were in a pursuit with a stolen vehicle. They were traveling west on Highway 13 and the vehicle was reportedly stolen out of Shawneetown.
WCSO deputies went out to the area of Route 13 and Stilley's Mill Road where some stop sticks were put out. The stolen vehicle ran over the stop sticks but continued driving along Route 13 going west with the two wheels on the driver's side deflated.
At this time, deputies with WCSO protected other public motorists at the intersection of Route 13 and Route 166.
When the suspect in the stolen vehicle got closer to this intersection, the vehicle then veered and hit a Williamson County Sheriff's Deputy's patrol vehicle. This was reported to have caused significant damage to both vehicles.Â
The Williamson County Sheriff's Office said the driver of the vehicle was identified as Jonathan D. Terrell and was arrested there at the scene.
Both Terrell and the deputy with the WCSO were taken to a local hospital.
A second Williamson County Sheriff’s Patrol Vehicle was slightly damaged in the collision as well.
Two civilian vehicles also reported they had tire damage after they had hit the stop sticks which were in the median of the roadway.
Terrell faces charges of Aggravated Fleeing and Eluding, Criminal Damage to State Supported Property, Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, and Felony DUI.
Terrell was shortly later medically cleared from the hospital not too long after his arrival there. He was then taken to the Williamson County Jail.
In a news release, Sheriff Jeff Diederich stated, “I spoke with Sheriff “Whipper� Johnson of Saline County earlier this evening. We are united in holding criminals accountable, are thankful no one was seriously injured, and committed to team work in fighting crime regardless of where it occurs�.
The traffic crash investigation is being conducted by the Illinois State Police due to involvement by multiple other law enforcement agencies, the WCSO said.
This investigation is ongoing and the sheriff's office said additional charges are anticipated.
