Du Quoin man who fled police has been charged
A Du Quoin man is charged with fleeing from Herrin police on Friday afternoon, driving as fast as 100 mph, until he was involved in a three-car accident at Routes 148 and 13 and was grabbed as he tried to run away on foot, police said.
According to Herrin police, James F. McKee, 40, was charged with driving on a revoked license, possession of drug paraphernalia and methamphetamine, twice disobeying a stop sign, speeding 100 mph in a 45 mph zone and 60 mph in a 30 mph zone, reckless driving, and aggravated fleeing and eluding. Police say he also had a federal warrant for his arrest, although it is not known what for.
According to a news release from the Herrin Street Crimes Unit, a detective attempted to pull over a purple 2010 Ford Explorer on Stotlar Street near 5th Street at 2:48 p.m. on Friday. Instead of stopping, the Explorer, driven by McKee, went westbound on Stotlar Street and turned south onto 13th Street, went south to Railroad Street where it turned west and continued to Park Avenue. The vehicle turned south on Park Avenue and continued through Energy.
The release says the detective observed the vehicle pass a car in the middle turn lane and noted it appeared to be speeding up. The detective ended pursuit in Energy, but saw the vehicle go through a red light on Park Avenue at Grand Road.
The detective said he lost sight of the vehicle, but continued driving south.
According to Illinois State Police, the Explorer got onto Route 148 south, and ran a red light at Route 13. Police said that as McKee tried to turn left, the Explorer hit a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu that was eastbound on Route 13, and the impact pushed the Malibu into a 2017 Ford hatchback that was also eastbound on Route 13.
The detective, meanwhile, arrived at the scene where he saw a man running southeast from the intersection across a field. The detective called for backup, then got out of the police car and ran toward the suspect.
The release said a second man was also running toward the suspect, and appeared to be trying to apprehend him.
That man identified himself as an off-duty officer with the Granite City Police Department.
The detective and the Granite City officer handcuffed McKee, put him into the back of the patrol car, and the detective took him to be medically evaluated.
The ISP said the driver of the Malibu, a 22-year-old woman from Elkville, was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. A passenger in the Explorer, a 35-year-old Johnston City woman, was also take to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The two occupants of the Ford hatchback - a 25-year-old Bloomington man and a 20-year-old Cary, Illinois man - were uninjured, police said.
After approximately 1 hour, all lanes were reopened after the crash investigation and scene cleanup. The Herrin Police Department is investigating the pre-crash events and no further information is available from the Illinois State Police.