A driver died when they crashed into a tree early Saturday while fleeing from a LaSalle County sheriff’s officer, police said.
The collision was reported around 1:30 a.m. along Illinois Route 71 near the town of Norway. A LaSalle County sheriff’s deputy was pursuing a Chevrolet pickup that had fled a traffic stop when the driver struck the side of a guardrail and struck several trees in a ditch, according to Illinois State Police.
The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
Illinois State Police were asked by the sheriff’s office to open an investigation.