A police pursuit that started in West Burlington, Iowa, ended in a fiery three-vehicle crash in Monmouth.
A West Burlington police officer was in pursuit of a black Nissan Murano that crossed into Illinois on Monday afternoon.
The driver of the Murano, later identified as Derrick Smith, 41, of Burlington, failed to yield at the intersection of Illinois Route 164 and U.S Route 34 and struck a semi-truck, driven by Rex Farmer, 56.
Warren County Sheriff's deputies responded to Route 164 and encountered the pursuit but were not actively engaged in it, according to a release from the sheriff's office.
The semi truck then struck a Ford F-250 truck, according to state police.
The Murano caught fire and Smith was pulled from the burning vehicle by a Warren County Sheriff’s deputy, who was later treated for minor burns, minor injuries, and smoke inhalation at an area hospital.
The driver of the Murano was flown to an area hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
The drivers of the semi truck and pickup truck were taken to an area hospital with minor injuries, according to the Illinois State Police.
Traffic was redirected from the crash site for several hours.
Monmouth police and fire departments also were on scene and worked to extinguish the fire before the vehicle was fully engulfed.
A spokesperson for the Illinois State Police said there is an active investigation into the accident and no other information is being released at this time.
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