More details are coming out about the fatal crash early this year involving a McDonough County sheriff’s deputy.
TSPR obtained the information through Freedom of Information Act requests filed with the office of McDonough County Coroner Eric Jameson, Illinois State Police, and the Macomb-McDonough County 911 Center.
The case began with a call to the 911 center the night of Jan. 27. A woman told the dispatcher that she had driven hours in a U-Haul to get away from her kid’s father.
“He has multiple domestic battery charges and aggravated domestic, and he’s on probation for a domestic charge. He has now come from out of nowhere to appear at this gas station in Macomb, Illinois,” said the woman, who was not identified.
The woman told the dispatcher she was on West Jackson Street. She said the person following her – the father of her kid – is James Mellenthin.
“Could you please get him away from me?” she pleaded.
The woman said she was not familiar with Macomb. She was there to stay at a relative’s house in town.
Mellenthin was the father of three children. He was a floor covering installer from Cottage Hills, which is part of the St. Louis Metro East Area.
According to the coroner’s report, a Macomb police officer tried to stop Mellenthin’s vehicle at 9:13 p.m., but Mellenthin fled with police in pursuit.
Macomb police ended their pursuit after a short time for public safety. They let the sheriff’s department know the road Mellenthin was on and the direction he was headed.
Reports from both the coroner and Illinois State Police said Sheriff’s Deputy Evan Schmalshof spotted Mellenthin’s 2006 Pontiac Grand Am on Route 67, about halfway between Macomb and Industry.
Mellenthin was traveling at a high rate of speed.
Schmalshof, driving a 2021 Dodge Charger owned by the sheriff’s department, tried to get ahead of Mellenthin to potentially deploy a spike strip in the road to stop him.
As Schmalshof tried to pass, Mellenthin crossed the center line, making contact with the deputy’s car, causing Mellenthin to lose control of his vehicle. His car left the road and began a violent rollover, ejecting him from the vehicle.
He suffered blunt force injuries to the head, neck, trunk, and extremities.
Mellenthin was pronounced dead at the scene at 9:32 p.m., less than 20 minutes after the initial pursuit.
He was 35.
The toxicology report notes the presence of methamphetamine, amphetamine, fentanyl, and other substances in Mellenthin’s system.
TSPR asked the coroner if the substances were present in his system at high enough levels to cause impairment.
Jameson responded, “Aside from the Caffeine and the Cotinine, all the other substances found were not prescribed to Mr. Mellenthin and all would be considered to cause impairment at any level while operating a motor vehicle by Illinois vehicle code.”
The Illinois State Police report noted there was a passenger in Deputy Schmalshof’s vehicle, Tyler Mason. The report does not say who he is or why he was in the vehicle.
Neither Mason nor Schmalshof was injured.
As previously reported by TSPR, McDonough County State’s Attorney Matt Kwacala asked the Illinois Appellate Prosecutor’s Office for an independent review of the state police investigation.
Following that review, Kwacala said no charges are being filed because there is not sufficient evidence to convict Schmalshof of any crime.
Sheriff Nick Petitgout said Schmalshof remains on paid administrative leave.
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