Authorities have released new details about a police pursuit in Edwardsville that ended in a crash over the weekend, resulting in one fatality and damage to a downtown business.
On Wednesday morning, the Illinois State Police identified the driver as 24-year-old Ryan C. Drew of Hamel.
According to state police, the incident began shortly after 11 p.m. Sunday when an officer with the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Police Department attempted to stop a Chevrolet truck for unsafe driving. Authorities said the vehicle was first observed on New Poag Road and was later traveling the wrong way on SIU Northern Access Road.
Police reported that the driver did not pull over, prompting the officer to initiate a pursuit. Investigators said the truck continued into Edwardsville, where it was traveling at a high rate of speed.
State police said the pursuit ended when the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a commercial building in the downtown area. The impact caused significant damage to the front of the Redmon Insurance Agency, located at 106 South Main Street.
Emergency responders arrived at the scene, and the driver was pronounced deceased. Authorities confirmed that no officers were injured during the incident.
Illinois State Police are leading the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the pursuit and crash. Officials have not released additional details about what may have contributed to the incident.
The investigation remains ongoing, and further information will be shared as it becomes available through official channels.
