THE FOLLOWING IS A DANVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT RELEASE
On 12/19/22 around 12:25 am, a Danville Police Officer was traveling east bound on Main St when he observed a black colored Mercedes sedan traveling west bound driving erratically and at a high rate of speed in the area of Main St and Fairweight St. The officer turned his vehicle around in an effort to conduct a traffic stop on the driver of the Mercedes. As the officer was conducting a U-turn, the Mercedes quickly turned north bound onto Griffin St and crashed the vehicle into the front porch of a residence in the 300 block of N. Griffin St.
The officer pulled up behind the Mercedes and exited his squad car in an attempt to make contact with the driver. Before the officer was able to make contact with the driver the Mercedes reversed away from the residence and the driver drove through the front yard and back onto Griffin St and then turned westbound onto Seminary St. The officer got back into his squad car and was attempting to catch back up to the Mercedes as it traveled at a high rate of speed on Seminary St towards Bowman Ave. The officer was several blocks behind the Mercedes when he observed the driver fail to stop at the red light at Seminary St and Bowman Ave and the Mercedes continued through the intersection. The officer was slowing down and stopping at the red light when he observed the Mercedes appeared to go airborne in the 800 block of Seminary St. The officer proceeded through the intersection at Seminary St and Bowman Ave and observed the Mercedes had left the roadway and struck a tree in the 800 block of Seminary St.
The officer along with several other Danville Police officers attempted to make contact with the driver to render aid. The driver was unresponsive and due to the crash, officers were unable to extract him from the vehicle. The Danville Fire Department and Emergency Medical personnel arrived on scene to extract the driver who was subsequently pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver is identified as a 24-year-old Danville man and he was the sole occupant of the vehicle. Further identification of the driver will be pending notification by the Vermilion County Coroner’s Office.
During follow-up investigation, Danville Police learned the Mercedes sedan had been reported stolen from Tilton, IL. Further investigation including an autopsy and toxicology report are currently pending. No other vehicles were involved in this traffic crash and no other injuries were reported for this incident.
The investigation into this incident continues and no other information is being released at this time.
Anyone who has information regarding this incident is asked to call Danville Police at (217)431-2250. Or you can call Vermilion County Crime Stoppers at (217) 446-TIPS
