Woman Killed in Crash in Decatur During Police Pursuit of Shooting Suspect

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Published on May 9 2016 11:42 am
Last Updated on May 9 2016 11:42 am
Written by Greg Sapp

A woman was fatally injured in a collision with an Illinois State Police trooper late Saturday night in Decatur.

State police say the woman, a 26-year-old Decatur woman, was headed westbound on Harrison Avenue at Illinois Route 48 in Decatur at 11pm while the trooper was traveling south on Route 48 with lights and sirens on. As the trooper approached the intersection, the woman turned into the path of the squad car. In the resulting collision, the woman was injured and was taken to Decatur Memorial Hospital where she died early Sunday morning.

The trooper was injured and was taken to an area hospital for treatment. His injuries were termed serious. Both drivers were wearing their seatbelts.

The trooper was attempting to intercept a suspect who is believed to have shot a police officer in Mahomet. The suspect has been identified as 35-year-old Dracy Pendleton of Bellflower who was stopped for a traffic offense in Mahomet Saturday night. Things escalated, Pendleton shot the officer, Jeremy Scharlow in the arm and Scharlow returned fire. It's believed the shot wounded Pendleton.

Pendleton is still at large and is believed to be still armed and dangerous.