Beecher City Man Arrested After Series of Crashes in Attempt to Flee

A Beecher City man was taken into custody by Effingham City Police after he fled the scene, striking three vehicles in the process.

26-year-old John M. Durbin was spotted changing a tire on a vehicle in a parking lot at 1706 South Banker at 2:20pm Thursday. City police were aware that Durbin was wanted on warrants charging domestic battery and fleeing or eluding a peace officer.

(DURBIN)

City officers along with Effingham County sheriff's deputies located Durbin who entered a vehicle that had been reported stolen from Fayette County. Durbin fled the scene, striking three vehicles while attempting to flee; a vehicle owned by Dustin Cade of Vandalia, an Effingham County Sheriff's Department squad car, and an Effingham Police Department squad car. Durbin headed out of Effingham at a high rate of speed, but was arrested later Thursday evening.

In addition to the warrants, Durbin was arrested on counts of aggravated battery, criminal damage to state-supported property, and aggravated assault, as well as a warrant from Shelby County charging failure to appear on a charge of larceny, and a Fayette County warrant charging failure to appear on a burglary count.

No one was injured in either the crashes or the other incidents.