Belvidere collision ends in foot chase, arrest

Rob · 10-25-07, 09:16 AM

Belvidere collision ends in foot chase, arrest

Oct 24, 2007 @ 04:15 PM
By Kevin Haas
RRSTAR.COM

BELVIDERE, ILLINOIS - Paula Mutert knows she’s lucky she didn’t approach the intersection the way she does almost every day. Had she followed her routine, the Corvette that collided with her after being clocked at 140 mph may have damaged more than her Toyota 4-Runner.

“(The Corvette) was down the road one second and right on me the next,” Mutert said. “I was lucky to be right where I was ... normally I would have pulled up a little farther to see to my right. Since I did stop far enough back, he only hit my front end.”

According to Boone County Sheriff crash reports, Mutert was southbound on Caledonia Road when a Corvette headed westbound on Illinois 173 tried to turn north on Caledonia Road.

The car slid into the 4-Runner, leaving 79 feet of skid marks before impact, the report reads. The Corvette continued into the ditch, the 4-Runner spun partially off the roadway.

Mutert said her first concern was for the two 10-year-old girls in the back seat, her daughter and a friend.

“I got out of the car and the first thing I could think of were the girls in the back,” Mutert said. “I just jumped out of the car to look at them to see if they weren’t bleeding or hurt, then I looked over at him and he was already running.”

Sheriff’s deputies, who Mutert said were following from a distance, chased down Jason Olson, 35, who had fled on foot.

Olson was charged with two Class 4 felonies, aggravated driving under the influence with no valid driver’s license and aggravated fleeing of police at 21 mph over the speed limit.

He was also charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, driving on a revoked license, reckless driving, driving 31 mph over the speed limit, failure to reduce speed, improper traffic lane usage, and disregarding a traffic control device.

He is due in court for arraignment Nov. 13.

Staff writer Kevin Haas can be reached at 815-544-3452 or khaas@rrstar.com.

XLR8 · 10-25-07, 09:31 AM

Glad they're okay.

What a jackass. So much for his efforts to make a "Corvette memory" for 2 little 10 year olds.

Put him under the freakin' jail.

Jane Ann

BigMike5 · 10-25-07, 10:22 AM

He was obviously misunderstood when growing up Jane Ann. It is society's, Reebocks, and GM's fault that he was driving so fast. Cops shouldn't have pursued him, sneaks should have let him run faster on foot, and GM shouldn't have made a car that goes so fast. lol He will probably get a $250 fine, and if its his car and insured, will seek reimbursement from the damage. That is how the system works or fails.

ROCKETBLOCK · 10-25-07, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigMike5

He was obviously misunderstood when growing up Jane Ann. It is society's, Reebocks, and GM's fault that he was driving so fast. Cops shouldn't have pursued him, sneaks should have let him run faster on foot, and GM shouldn't have made a car that goes so fast. lol He will probably get a $250 fine, and if its his car and insured, will seek reimbursement from the damage. That is how the system works or fails.

Yup, our society is drowning in our own little puddle of do-gooder pudding.

bwing · 10-25-07, 12:45 PM

I couldn't tell if Rocket or Bigmike were joking but I agree with Jane Ann. That S.O.B. is 35 yrs old and unless he's "challenged" in some way I hope they throw the book at him. Evading the police is a felony as is aggravated DUI. He ought to also be charged with hit and run in addition to whatever else they can throw at him. Not sure about Ill insurance regs but in CA, if you're involved in an accident, and you're drivers license is revoked auto insurance companies will not cover any damages to either vehicle. I feel more for that poor woman in the 4-Runner. Hopefully she's got uninsured motorist coverage or a fairly low deductible.

randomize27 · 10-25-07, 11:27 PM

Sorry, one thing I don't tolerate well is DUI drivers.

So, I hope they add attempted 1st degree murder, or the equivalent to his charges.

Attempted 1st degree murder (as I understand it):
1) Planned out.
2) Conscious decision.
3) Taking an action which would result in the deaths of others.

He:
1) Planned to drink.
2) Made a conscious decision to drive, which resulted in
3) Taking an action which could have resulted in the deaths of others.

Failing that, put him under the jail.

Or better yet, put him gen pop and tell them he attempted to kill a woman and her two kids because they were in his way.

XLR8 · 10-25-07, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bwing

I couldn't tell if Rocket or Bigmike were joking but I agree with Jane Ann....

Never fear bwing, I can assure you Rocket and BigMike WERE responding strictly tongue in cheek and I have no doubt either one of them would gladly slam the cell door closed behind him.

Jane Ann

ROCKETBLOCK · 10-26-07, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XLR8

Never fear bwing, I can assure you Rocket and BigMike WERE responding strictly tongue in cheek and I have no doubt either one of them would gladly slam the cell door closed behind him.

Jane Ann

You got it Jane Ann! But we still are drowning.

Mac · 10-26-07, 12:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROCKETBLOCK

Yup, our society is drowning in our own little puddle of do-gooder pudding.

I'll bet it's because his mom gave him 2% milk instead of regular milk with his cookies when he was growing up. That'll get you every time.

-Mac

GerryLP · 10-26-07, 12:54 AM

Does anyone know what is the current crash-test ratings for Corvettes?

I am not for Big Brother, but it is a genuinely formed question I have.

randomize27 · 10-26-07, 03:17 AM

Well, from the number of crash videos I've seen on the 'tube sites, I'd say it's gotta be pretty damn good.

Usually, some fool/idiot/moron cracks up a Corvette, they A) Walk away without a scratch. B) Walk away with a few bumps and bruises. C) Break an ankle or some other bone, but minor compared to the disintegrating Corvette. (I'm thinking specifically of a woman in a black Corvette pursued by police.)

And, I'd lay even odds that the woman who recently died in the Corvette in front of her husband (forget where right now...kind of tired) probably died because of something not related to the Corvette.

But, I can't speak for the pre-C5's on that.

It'd be interesting to see if there's a crash test list from when they started doing it seriously to today, for each make and model of car....so you could see the ratings from say, 1984 to 1999, if you wanted.

BigMike5 · 10-26-07, 12:01 PM

bwing- Just kidding. I am death on DUI and have proposed forfeiture of the automobile for a 2nd pick-up for DUI, since inevitably the driver is on a suspended license and uninsured, but does not obey the order from the court not to drive. Suffice it to say, that if I tell you you will lose your Corvette if we catch you driving it while on a suspension you are unlikely to do so. But if I tell you not to drive and it will cost you a few more bucks if you get caught most of these jerks drive anyway. Hence my suggestion that forfeiture be worked into the KY statute on DUI punishments. Needless to say the Pols ignored the proposal, hell we can't even get handheld cell phone use while driving banned, nor can we stop subsidizing tobacco, so forfeiture was a stretch.

We had one girl in our office whose aunt got T-bone in VA by some guy with 4 prior DUIs and was on a suspended license in an uninsured car. Her and her daughter required life saving techiques and several operations, and the turd got to walk out of the police station with his father after the accident. Now that is a system that is broken.

bwing · 10-26-07, 01:29 PM

When I was working, and that wasn't that long ago, I was zero tolerance when it came to DUI's. CA had a BA limit of .10 then lowered it to .08. If I stopped someone who I thought was DUI and they had a BA of less than .08 the DA wouldn't charge so I'd arrest them for being Drunk in Public. Anything to get them off the streets until they sobered up.

As far as "making a conscious decision" to drive, intoxicated persons cannot make a "conscious decision" which makes for charging homicide very difficult. Involuntary manslaughter is usually what they're charged and convicted of.

I do like Random's suggestion of putting them in the general population but let's put the word out that they molested a 2 yr old instead. I think that would get faster results.