 Wednesday morning at approximately 7:15 the Logan County Sheriff's
Department informed Illinois State Police, District 9 that they were
attempting to stop the driver of a vehicle that had been reported as
stolen in New Holland.
The driver, who was later identified as Cody J. Rutz, fled
officers, heading south on Route 121 in a pickup owned by the
Illinois Department of Transportation. Officers lost sight of Rutz
near Mount Pulaski.
Rutz was then involved in a crash on Route 121, three-tenths of a
mile west of 2000th Avenue, about halfway between Mount Pulaski and
Latham. The stolen vehicle rolled over during the crash.
A witness in a 2006 Nissan passenger vehicle pulled over to help
Rutz.
Rutz stole the Nissan and fled north on Route 121 toward Lincoln
this time. Attempts to stop Rutz failed again, and officers
terminated any further attempts to stop Rutz, due to his erratic
driving.
Rutz continued driving and eventually entered Interstate 55
southbound. He then left the interstate at Elkhart and drove west.
Approximately two miles west of Elkhart, Rutz collided with a
Secretary of State Police squad car, and the second stolen vehicle
-- during the chase -- came to rest in a ditch.
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 Rutz was taken into custody at 8:04 a.m. at the scene. He was
treated and released from St. John's Hospital in Springfield for
injuries sustained in the rollover crash on Route 121. Then he was
transported to the Logan County Jail.
During the investigation it was learned that Rutz had abandoned a
stolen vehicle in New Holland, where he had stolen the IDOT truck.
That abandoned vehicle had been stolen from Mason County. Further
investigation revealed several other vehicles had been stolen and
abandoned by Rutz in Tazewell County.
Rutz was charged with aggravated motor vehicle theft, aggravated
fleeing and eluding, aggravated DUI -- drugs, and numerous other
traffic violations.
Agencies involved included Washington Police Department; Tazewell
County, Mason County and Logan County sheriff's departments, and
Secretary of State Police.
The public is reminded that anyone is presumed innocent until the
charges are proven in a court of law.
[Illinois
State Police, District 9 report; LDN]
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