On September 22, 2024, at approximately 11:49 a.m., deputies from the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to Hall's Cycles, located at 3801 N. Dirksen Parkway in Springfield, in response to an alarm. Upon arrival, deputies found the front door of the business damaged and ajar. A witness described a suspicious vehicle at the scene: a white Dodge Ram truck occupied by at least two individuals.
The business owner arrived shortly after and reported several motorcycles stolen, with an estimated value of $45,000.
At 1:48 a.m. on September 23, deputies spotted a white Dodge Ram truck with a motorcycle in its bed, traveling east in the 2900 block of Sangamon Avenue in Springfield. Despite multiple attempts by deputies to stop the vehicle, the driver refused to comply. During the pursuit, the occupants of the truck threw objects—including a tire and tools—at the deputies, likely attempting to disable their vehicles.
The vehicle fled southbound on I-55, eventually leaving Sangamon County and entering rural Madison County. Deputies received assistance from several law enforcement agencies in the area. At one point during the chase, deputies lost visual contact with the fleeing truck but continued to follow its taillights. While doing so, they discovered a male subject lying beside the roadway.
Deputies immediately halted the pursuit to render aid to the 43-year-old male, who is from the Kansas City, Missouri, area. He was airlifted to a St. Louis hospital with serious injuries.
On the morning of September 23, at approximately 9:30 a.m., the Madison County Sheriff's Office located the Dodge Ram in Livingston, Illinois. Further investigation revealed that the vehicle had been stolen from Kansas and was fitted with altered license plates. Detectives also recovered firearms from inside the stolen truck.
On September 25, 2024, the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office was notified that the male subject found on the side of the roadway had succumbed to his injuries. At this point, the Illinois State Police were contacted to assist with the investigation. A Sangamon County sergeant and deputy involved in the pursuit have been placed on administrative leave as the investigation continues.
This incident remains under investigation by the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office and the Illinois State Police.