Chase and Crash Involving Area Residents South of Champaign

Three area residents were involved in a chase and crash south of Champaign this week.

State police say a vehicle driven by a 35-year-old Neoga woman was northbound on I-57, two miles south of the Monticello interchange when the incident occurred just before 6:30am Tuesday. The woman later told police a vehicle was parked on the right shoulder with emergency flashers activated. The Neoga woman moved into the left lane to provide some space for the stopped vehicle and passed the vehicle.

The stopped vehicle then moved onto the roadway and was apparently following the Neoga woman's vehicle. She told police the other vehicle began following them at a close distance with emergency flashers on. The Neoga woman increased her vehicle's speed to avoid the other vehicle. She also changed to the driving lane, merging between two semis to allow the other vehicle to pass on by. However, the other vehicle also pulled in between the semis, behind the Neoga woman's vehicle and then increased speed and rear-ended the Neoga woman's vehicle. The impact caused the Neoga woman's vehicle to spin out of control into the right ditch about two miles north of where the incident began. A passenger in the Neoga woman's vehicle got out of the vehicle and was standing outside the vehicle in the ditch.

Reports indicate the other vehicle immediately pulled over to the left lane, and then backed up in northbound traffic to just south of the crash. The other vehicle then pulled across both northbound lanes of traffic onto the right shoulder and then down into the ditch and struck the Neoga woman's vehicle again, broadsiding the vehicle on the passenger side. When the other vehicle struck the Neoga woman's vehicle, the Neoga woman's vehicle struck the person standing outside the vehicle, knocking her back approximately 10 to 12 feet onto the ground.

The other vehicle then drove northbound out of the ditch and headed north on I-57 about one mile where it stopped partially in the passing lane and partially on the median shoulder where the driver remained in the vehicle until police reached the scene. The Neoga woman told police a passenger in her car had phoned police prior to the rear-end crash in traffic and had told police they thought they were being chased.

The three occupants of the Neoga woman's vehicle; the Neoga woman and two passengers, a 30-year-old woman from Effingham and a 33-year-old woman from Sigel; were all taken to area hospitals for treatment.

Meanwhile, the driver of the other vehicle, identified as 53-year-old Brian McStay of Rantoul, was injured and was taken for treatment of what were termed minor injuries. 

State police also arresed McStay on counts of reckless driving, failure to reduce speed to avoid the crash, and improper insurance.