The Kewanee Police Department is releasing more information about a high-speed pursuit on New Year’s Eve that led to the arrest of Luke A. Washburn of Kewanee. That high-speed chase, police say, ended in a car crash.
According to the news release, on Dec. 31 shortly at 10 p.m., officers from the KPD were conducting surveillance in the 100 block of Payson Street as part of an ongoing effort to locate a suspect in a separate incident earlier in the day.
“During this time, a vehicle was observed leaving the residence. Officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop on the vehicle, but the driver fled, leading officers on a pursuit. The vehicle traveled through Kewanee, committing multiple traffic violations in an attempt to evade law enforcement,” the news release said.
The pursuit ended when the vehicle lost control and crashed into a wooded area in the 700 block of South West Street. The driver, Washburn, 26, and a passenger were extracted from the vehicle by the Kewanee Fire Department. Both individuals were transported to OSF Saint Luke Medical Center and later transferred to OSF St. Francis in Peoria for further treatment.
Washburn, who is currently on parole from the Illinois Department of Corrections, was issued numerous citations, including aggravated fleeing and eluding, operating a motor vehicle with a revoked license, reckless driving and multiple traffic violations.
Washburn is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 3, at the Henry County Courthouse in Cambridge.
The KPD appreciates the efforts of the Kewanee Fire Department, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, and other emergency responders in this incident, the news release said.
