Man Arrested After Disobeying Officers at Storm Scene

A Watson man is in custody after disobeying law enforcement officers at a storm scene early Sunday morning.

25-year-old Brett A. Tabor was arrested on numerous charges after the incident that occurred at 1:18am.

State police report Tabor was headed south on US Route 45 when he disobeyed orders given by an Effingham County sheriff's deputy at the junction with Illinois Route 37. The deputy had directed Tabor to proceed from US 45 onto Illinois 37 due to a tree and power lines across the roadway on Route 45, about one-quarter mile north of 500th Avenue. 

Police report Tabor drove around the deputy's marked squad car with its emergency lights activated. Tabor then proceeded to travel further south on Route 45 when he encountered a marked State Police squad car with emergency lights activated sitting across both lanes, about a quarter-mile north of 500th Avenue. When Tabor continued south toward the state police patrol car, the trooper was forced to withdraw the squad car from the southbound lane to avoid a head-on collision with Tabor's car.

Tabor continued south and struck several branches of the downed tree about a quarter-mile north of 500th Avenue. Firefighters and EMS were contacted and responded to the scene to assist with retrieving Tabor from his vehicle.

Tabor was cited for DUI alcohol, reckless driving, no valid driver's license, disobeying a peace officer, failure to yield to an authorized emergency vehicle, no valid registration, failure to wear a seat belt, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.

Tabor was injured and was taken to HSHS St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital in Effingham for treatment of injuries sustained in the crash.