High speed chase goes by St. Clair County Jail

A high-speed chase for a domestic battery suspect went right past the St. Clair County Jail on Thursday afternoon and ended with the car crashing on Route 163 at Concordia Road seriously injuring the driver.

Swansea police were called to a home on Shawn Drive after a 911 call reporting that there was a man beating a woman on Thursday afternoon, according to Swansea Police Chief Steve Johnson. The Swansea officer arrived within a minute and saw a small silver car leaving the scene at a high rate of speed.

“At one point, the suspect drove the vehicle directly at the officer’s vehicle, almost striking it,” Johnson said.

Alex Enyart, an assistant St. Clair County public defender, was leaving the jail about 4:50 p.m. on Thursday after visiting a client when he said a silver hatchback vehicle drove by on Fifth Street.

“It was going at least 70 mph,” Enyart said.

The car didn’t stop at the sign at Fifth and West F Streets, Enyart said, and continued toward Belleville on Fifth. A Swansea police sport utility vehicle was in pursuit, Enyart said, but turned left onto West F. Enyart said he ran to the street and directed other officers in pursuit in the direction of the fleeing hatchback. By then, Belleville police were assisting in the chase.

The chase was terminated when it was decided that it was unsafe for everyone, Johnson said.

At the site of the domestic, the female victim told police that her family member had stolen her car and fled. She declined medical attention or to pursue domestic battery charges.

Illinois State Police contacted Swansea police and told them the suspect’s car was involved in a one-vehicle crash about 6 p.m. on Thursday. The suspect was seriously injured and had to be flown to a St. Louis area hospital in a medical helicopter, Johnson said.

Swansea police declined to name the suspect.

“As imperative as it is we take domestic battery suspects into custody as soon as possible, the officers showed great restraint and professionalism in terminating the pursuit at such time as it became a danger to the public and themselves,” Johnson said. “We never want any bad guy to get away, but we know the safety of our citizens come first.”

This story was originally published July 17, 2015 at 3:14 PM with the headline "High speed chase goes by St. Clair County Jail."