Williamson County Sheriff's Office releases dashcam video of motorcycle chase and crash – KBSI Fox 23 Cape Girardeau News

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Ill. (KBSI) – The Williamson County Sheriff's Office has released dashcam video of a police chase and motorcyclist crash.

On May 26, around 12:50 a.m., a stopped Williamson County Sheriff's Office patrol vehicle was struck at the intersection of Illinois Route 13 (Deyoung Street) and Carbon Street in Marion. by a motorcycle fleeing from Herrin police officers during a police chase.

In the interest of transparency, the Williamson County Sheriff's Office has asked the Illinois State Police to investigate.

According to a post on the sheriff's office Facebook page:

“The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office is keenly aware of public comments that, in some cases, contain incorrect information regarding the events of this incident. The public should be aware of the following:

*The chase and resulting crash were captured by multiple dash and body-worn cameras that provide clarity on the events that occurred.
*The Williamson County Sheriff's Office was not the prosecuting agency.
* A stopped Williamson County Sheriff's Office patrol car was struck by the fleeing motorcycle at the intersection of Deyoung and Carbon streets. The patrol vehicle was stopped, with all emergency lights activated, well before the motorcycle approached the intersection.
*The Williamson County Sheriff's Office patrol vehicle did not collide, advance, reverse, attempt to collide, or impede the eastbound movement of the motorcycles.
* No tire deflation devices (Spikes/Stop Sticks) have been deployed; and none should have been deployed against a vehicle with only two wheels.
*The motorcycle had a clear and unobstructed path (2 lanes) to continue eastbound on Deyoung Street without obstacles.
* Dashcam video from the lead patrol vehicle in the chase shows the motorcycle left its lane of travel well before the intersection, crossed into a northbound lane of traffic and aimed directly at the patrol vehicle behind. Williamson County Sheriff's Office arrest.
*Dash camera video from the patrol vehicle leading in the chase shows that as it approached the crash intersection, the motorcycle was traveling at speeds of nearly 100 mph.
*Dashcam video shows that seconds before impact, the motorcycle begins to veer right but fails to miss the front bumper of the county sheriff's office patrol vehicle by inches of Williamson, resulting in a traffic accident.
*The stationary Williamson County Sheriff's Office patrol vehicle that was struck by the fleeing motorcycle, along with numerous other patrol vehicles along its route, had taken up positions at major intersections to prevent innocent motorists from cross the path of the fleeing vehicle. »