Fatal police chase ends in crash through business

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - A police chase ended in death after a driver crashed into a business in downtown Edwardsville. Construction crews moved quickly Monday morning to secure and rebuild Redmon Insurance Agency after a pickup truck crashed through the front late Sunday night, killing the driver. The crash happened just after 11 p.m. No one was inside the building at the time. “We were not here. It was late at night, and thank goodness because that would’ve been catastrophic,” said Kai Redmon, owner of Redmon Insurance Agency. The driver of the truck died in the crash. The Illinois State Police (ISP) is investigating, stating that the crash occurred during a police pursuit involving the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville (SIUE) Police. Police said the chase began after the driver was spotted driving dangerously and traveling the wrong way on the SIU Northern Access Road, two miles from the crash site. Nearby business owners arrived Monday morning to find the building without power due to damage caused by the crash. “My phone doesn’t turn on until 7. As soon as it turned 7, it was going off,” said Chris Quidgeon, owner of Evermore Gallery, a tattoo shop connected to Redmon's business. “It hit back there, and it looks like a dust storm just flew through here,” Quidgeon added. A damaged electrical box remained at the scene. Quidgeon said his shop will likely remain closed until Wednesday. Both business owners said their focus remains on the loss of life. “Property can be repaired, but lives cannot,” Redmon said. Redmon said clients will be served out of the agency’s Collinsville office. ISP says once it has finished its investigation, the Madison County Prosecutor will review the case for potential charges. FOX 2 has reached out to SIUE Police to find out why they were involved in a chase off campus. A person who answered the phone directed us to ISP. FOX 2 followed up with an email to the police chief, but has not heard back. SIUE PD officers are credentialled with the state and have full police authority. ISP is not releasing the identity of the deceased driver at this time.