Driver of stolen car, 16, hits six vehicles in O’Fallon then crashes in East St. Louis
UPDATE 5/2/24: This article has been updated regarding the type of gun recovered.
The 16-year-old driver of a Toyota Corolla reported stolen in Smithton sideswiped six cars in O’Fallon as he fled police Tuesday night, then ended up crashing in East St. Louis, where he and three passengers were arrested, police said.
The driver is expected to face charges in juvenile court but the three passengers are expected to be released to their parents, according Capt. Matt Jany the Metro East Auto Task Force, which is leading the investigation. Two of the passengers are juveniles and one is 18.
The suspect’s name was not released due to his age.
Police recovered a pellet gun that is made to look like an AR-style gun. Investigators initially reported this was a firearm but later learned it was a “high end” pellet gun, Jany said.
It all started with the theft of a 2019 Toyota Corolla in Smithton, where vehicle burglaries also were reported. The 16-year-old driver pf the stolen car is linked to those burglaries, Jany said.
Smithton Police Chief Jason Neff said the Corolla was stolen early Tuesday and the department also received reports of about six vehicle burglaries that occurred early Tuesday.
Officers with the Metro East Auto Task Force searched for the car on Tuesday but didn’t find it.
A St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department deputy spotted the stolen Toyota at about 6:50 p.m. Tuesday on Lebanon Avenue in Belleville, Jany said. A pursuit that also involved the Shiloh Police Department was launched but eventually was terminated because of safety concerns, he said.
The stolen car hit six vehicles at about 7 p.m. on eastbound U.S. 50 where they were stopped at Hartman Lane, said Lt. Patrick Feldhake of the O’Fallon Police Department. Feldhake, who said O’Fallon officers were not part of the pursuit, said the stolen car headed to westbound Interstate 64 after striking the vehicles on U.S. 50. No injuries were reported in the O’Fallon crashes.
Shortly after 7 p.m. the stolen car crashed in the area of North 25th Street and the westbound I-64 exit ramp in East St. Louis, Jany said.
The Toyota was damaged in the crash and Jany did not know if the car could be repaired or considered a total loss.
Multiple agencies assisted in this case, including Illinois State Police and the Washington Park Police Department at the crash scene in East St. Louis, Jany said.
The Metro East Auto Theft Task Force has 12 officers and they work in Madison, St. Clair and Monroe counties.
Between January 2019 and March of this year, the force recovered over 2,400 stolen vehicles. Jany said some of the vehicles were recovered in Missouri and some of the vehicles were stolen in Missouri but recovered in the metro-east.
Jany reminds residents to keep their vehicles locked. He said vehicle burglars are usually targeting two things: “They’re looking for keys and guns.”
