Police pursuit from Missouri ends in serious crash in Illinois

PONTOON BEACH, Mo. – A police chase beginning in Missouri crosses into Illinois before ending in a serious crash.

County police say that the incident all began a little after midnight in the Jennings area of north St. Louis County.

The incident started when an officer from the City of Jennings Precinct attempted to stop a Mercedes SUV speeding in the area of Goodfellow Avenue and Veronica Avenue.

Police claim the driver of the Mercedes refused to stop and instead made a U-turn, driving straight towards the officer.

The officer was able to avoid the collision with the Mercedes and began a pursuit of the SUV.

The pursuit continued over into Illinois before ending in Pontoon Beach when the vehicle that police were chasing appeared to have crashed at Route 111, south of Interstate-270.

Authorities say the Mercedes tried to get off at I-270 at the Route 111 exit but the driver lost control, causing the SUV to roll several times.

Investigators say the Mercedes hit a concrete median and the driver, a 27-year-old man from St. Louis, was thrown from the vehicle.

He was taken to the hospital with what the authorities described as life-threatening injuries.

There were no passengers in the Mercedes, and no officers were hurt.

The Illinois state police are heading the actual crash investigation. The St. Louis County Police are investigating the other parts of the incident, including the pursuit.

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