URBANA, Ill. (Chambana Today) — In the late hours of Friday, December 20 heading into Saturday, officers from the Urbana Police Department, the University of Illinois Police Department, and other emergency personnel responded to a serious traffic crash that occurred at the intersection of Green Street and Matthews Avenue in Urbana. Officers arrived on scene at approximately 2:13 a.m.
Preliminary investigation indicated that a U of I police officer was on routine patrol in the campus area of Urbana traveling eastbound on Green Street when a red Buick Verano entered the intersection from Matthews traveling the wrong direction at a high rate of speed. Matthews Avenue is designated as a southbound one way roadway. The vehicle and the officer’s squad car collided, and the Buick spun off the roadway and onto the sidewalk that is northeast of the intersection.
Five individuals were preparing to enter the crosswalk at the time of the crash while walking westbound on Green Street. The vehicle struck one of the individuals, who eventually succumbed to their injuries, as shared by the police. The driver of the vehicle fled the scene on foot and has not yet been located.
The Urbana Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Unit is leading the investigation with assistance from the UIPD and Illinois State Police.
The U of I police officer and the injured pedestrian were both transported to a local hospital for treatment. The officer is listed in stable condition.
The names of the individuals involved are not being released at this time.
Urbana Police are asking the community for help in solving this case. Anyone who has additional information is asked to call 217-384-2320. Arrangements can be made for information to be shared privately. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may also submit tips to Crime Stoppers by phone at 217-373-TIPS (217-373-8477); online at 373tips.com; or the “P3 Tips” mobile app.
Community members are reminded that information submitted to Crime Stoppers is completely anonymous. Calls are routed a to third-party national call center that receives your information, completes a tip information form, and then passes the information to the appropriate law enforcement agency.