Police SUV in crash near Belleville driven by undercover St. Clair County deputy

A unmarked law enforcement sports utility vehicle that crashed Sunday night in Belleville was being driven by an undercover St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department deputy.

Sheriff Rick Watson said a report of a vehicle traveling at speeds approaching 100 mph on Illinois 15 west near the Charles Street exit was broadcast over police radio just before the crash. But police in the area were ordered not to pursue the car because of safety concerns.

“When there is a high-speed pursuit like that, nine times out of 10 if there is an accident, it’s an innocent citizen who gets hit,” Watson said.

Instead, the driver, who was not being pursued, struck the SUV traveling at a normal speed that just happened to be driven by a deputy on his way back to Belleville after working a shift doing MetroLink security, Watson said.

The collision happened on Illinois 15 at just before midnight.

Belleville Police Sgt. Mark Heffernan said the crash happened when the driver of the other vehicle encountered traffic stopped in both lanes of westbound Illinois 15 at the traffic light at DeMazenod Drive in front of the Our Lady of the Snows Shrine.

Instead of stopping, the motorist attempted to navigate around traffic by veering onto the right shoulder of the highway, Heffernan said. He was traveling through the intersection at a high rate of speed when he struck the sheriff’s department SUV in its driver’s side front fender, causing both vehicles to spin out.

Hefferman said the case is still under investigation and declined to release the names of either driver. Watson declined to release other details, including the deputy’s name in reference to the Belleville Police Department’s investigation.

Watson did say the deputy was uninjured.

“As far as we know he’s okay,” Watson said. “Just some soreness.”

The driver of the other vehicle was taken to a St. Louis hospital. But Heffernan said he didn’t believe the injuries were life-threatening.

The unmarked SUV was loaded on a flatbed truck while a black mid-sized sedan sat nearby with a crumpled front end, a smashed windshield and its rear end smashed against a utility pole.

Heffernan said no charges have been filed yet against the motorist who caused the crash.

“When the investigation concludes, it will be decided what charges will be pursued,” Heffernan said.

This story was originally published July 20, 2015 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Police SUV in crash near Belleville driven by undercover St. Clair County deputy."