Man found on road during police pursuit dies; 2 Sangamon Co. deputies on leave

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — A man found on the side of a rural Madison County road during a police pursuit is dead. The Sangamon County Sheriff's Office said a sergeant and deputy involved in the pursuit have been placed on administrative leave as a precautionary measure.

On Friday, Sangamon County Sheriff Paula Crouch said, "We believe the person who later passed away was an occupant of the vehicle involved in the burglary."

The office said the pursuit started after $45,000 worth of motorcycles were stolen from Hall's Cycles in Springfield on September 22.

Deputies arrived to find the front door to the business damaged and ajar, and a witness gave them the description of a suspicious vehicle —a Dodge Ram truck occupied by two people.

The sheriff's office said deputies saw a white Dodge Ram truck traveling east in the 2900 block of Sangamon Avenue around 1:48 a.m. with a motorcycle in the open bed.

Police tried to stop the truck several times, but failed as the occupants threw tires and tools at the deputies.

Police say the truck then entered I-55, leaving Sangamon County and entering the rural area of Madison County. The Sangamon County Sheriff's Office then requested assistance from other law enforcement.

Deputies lost visual contact with the truck and could only follow its taillights during the pursuit. Police later stopped the pursuit to help a man lying next to the road. The sheriff's office said the 43-year-old man from Kansas City, Missouri, was airlifted to a hospital in St. Louis with serious injuries.

The sheriff's office was later notified that the man died from his injuries on on September 25.

Illinois State Police were contacted to assist in the investigation.

The Dodge Ram that deputies were pursuing was found in Livingston by the Madison County Sheriff's Office around 9:30 a.m. on September 25th.

During the investigation, officials discovered that the truck was stolen from Kansas and had altered license plates. They also found guns inside the stolen truck.