The Illinois State Police shared a new accident report on Wednesday, June 10, confirming the arrest of a suspected car thief who caused a two-vehicle collision while fleeing officers. The incident, which resulted in one casualty, took place in Franklin County, Illinois.
According to the ISP reports, the suspect, Derverez J. Thomas, 26, of Marion, crashed his vehicle in a field off Route 149. A second vehicle was involved in the collision, but no one in this vehicle suffered injuries.
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Investigators determined that the man was driving a 2016 Jeep Wrangler on the northbound Route 149. An on-duty Cambria Police Department officer spotted the motorist and observed that his vehicle fit the description of one reported stolen earlier out of Carbondale.
The officer said Thomas failed to oblige as he tried to pull him over, but continued northbound on Rte. 149. While fleeing, the motorist was unable to negotiate a curve on the roadway, causing him to veer off the road into a grassy patch. The Jeep then struck an embankment and became airborne seconds before crashing into a farm trailer attached to a combine head.
Thomas’ vehicle and the combine head skidded into a grassy area located just north of Elkville Blacktop Road before halting. Emergency responders transported Thomas to a local hospital via air ambulance. Medical personnel described his injuries as non-life-threatening. The operator of the trailer went unscathed, the accident reports affirmed.
Charges against Thomas are not available at this time, as the ISP continues to investigate the case.
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