Crash Follows High Speed Pursuit

On Monday, April 29, 2024 at approximately 12:00 p.m., the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office was attempting to locate Richie Styers, age 36, who was currently residing in Fairbury.According to the sheriff's office, “It was reported that Styers took a vehicle that he was unauthorized to use or possess and left a residence with numerous firearms and was potentially having a mental health crisis.” At approximately 12:21 p.m., a deputy reportedly spotted the vehicle near Walmart in Fairbury. The deputy followed the vehicle onto Industrial Drive and then onto North K Street, which is a gravel road. The vehicle, a 2013 Dodge Dart, was traveling southbound on North K Street when the deputy attempted to make a traffic stop on the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle refused to stop for the deputy and fled.The driver went south to 27th Street where he then turned south onto Hwy15/K Street. The driver immediately took off at a very high rate of speed and continued traveling southbound on K Street driving in “an extremely reckless manner,” according to a press release from the sheriff. The sheriff's office indicated that, as the vehicle was approaching the intersection of 14th and K Streets, it swerved around the median and was then traveling southbound in the northbound lane. The driver attempted to make a left (east) turn onto Highway 136 when it collided with another vehicle, a 2023 Chevy Silverado 2500 driven by Larry McBride, age 62, of Fairbury. Styers was taken into custody at the scene and transported by the Jefferson County Ambulance to Jefferson Community Health and Life to be treated for his injuries. McBride sustained minor injuries and was not transported. Styers was taken into Emergency Protective Custody to be evaluated once he was treated for his injuries.Agencies who responded to the scene were the Jefferson County Ambulance and Fairbury Rural Fire Department.

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