WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Ill. – Southern Illinois deputies raced to save a pregnant woman inside a runaway car quickly nearing a freezing lake.
According to the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office, the woman was traveling westbound on Old Route 14 at Division Street near Carterville around 2 a.m. Monday.
Despite pushing on her breaks and activating her brake lights, the vehicle would not decelerate and continued traveling at 30 miles per hour toward Crab Orchard Lake.
After calling 911, the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office Deputies responded and followed her vehicle, then conducted a roadblock to stop her vehicle.
In order to stop the rogue vehicle, a patrol car passed her car and positioned in front of it. Then slowly decelerated until her vehicle’s front bumper made contact with the rear bumper of the patrol car.
After contact was made, the patrol vehicle put on his brakes and brought both vehicles to a stop.
Williamson County Deputies said the vehicle was stopped just 1/4 of a mile away from Crab Orchard Lake at the end of the road.
“Had the deputy not been on scene or delayed performing this maneuver, the driver and vehicle would have likely gone into the water upon reaching the lake,” stated Sheriff Jeff Diederich on Facebook.
WSCO Deputies said the patrol car sustained no damage and the runaway vehicle sustained very minor damage. No injuries were reported.