[DEC. 19, 2005]
A robbery and homicide suspect died in a
single-vehicle crash after police who were in pursuit lost sight of
the vehicle near San Jose at 9:11 p.m. on Saturday. Eric Fouts, 28,
of Rome was driving a white 1998 Dodge Dakota on County Road 400
Avenue two-tenths of a mile north of U.S. 136 in rural Logan County
when the accident occurred.
The vehicle he was driving was stolen, and he was a suspect in a
homicide in Peoria County. Fouts was also a suspect in an armed
robbery that had occurred in Pekin earlier in the evening.
The
Tazewell County Sheriff's Department, Tremont Police Department and
the Illinois State Police District 8 were pursuing Fouts for the
armed robbery that had recently occurred in Pekin.
Fouts' vehicle reached speeds in excess of 100 mph, and he
extinguished his lights. Police lost sight of his vehicle for short
period of time.
The vehicle was found a short time later, wrecked in Logan
County. Evidence at the scene of the crash indicated that the
vehicle left the roadway on the left. The vehicle partially
overturned onto its driver's side and began sliding on the snow. The
vehicle's windshield and roof struck a utility pole and overturned.
Fouts sustained head trauma and was pronounced dead at the scene
by Logan County Coroner Bob Thomas.
The vehicle sustained extensive damage.
Agencies involved were Illinois State Police District 9, Illinois
State Police District 8, Tazewell County Sheriff's Department,
Peoria County Sheriff's Department, Logan County Sheriff's
Department, Pekin Police Department, Delavan Police Department,
Tremont Police Department, the Logan County coroner, Emden Fire and
Rescue, Logan County Paramedics and San Jose Rescue.
