James Mellenthin would have turned 36 on Oct. 20. But he died early this year after a collision with a McDonough County sheriff’s deputy’s car during a high-speed chase.
More details about the case came from the Illinois State Police investigation into the crash. TSPR obtained the 211-page report through a Freedom of Information Act request.
The 911 call
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.
Macomb police received a 911 call on the night of Jan. 27, 2023 from a woman who said she had been in a relationship with Mellenthin and that he was following her.
After police spotted his car, they tried to stop him, but Mellenthin fled. Macomb police ended their pursuit after a short time.
The deputy’s account
Sheriff’s Deputy Evan Schmalshof told investigators he believed Macomb police were pursuing Mellenthin for a serious offense. He also believed apprehension was possible, even though Mellenthin was a great distance ahead of him on Route 67, headed south out of Macomb.
Schmalshof said he saw Mellenthin drive in the oncoming lane of traffic in a No Passing zone. He said based on that driving behavior and the rate of speed, he feared a member of the public could be gravely injured or killed if Mellenthin was not apprehended.
He also thought the vehicle might have been stolen or carjacked because dispatch initially described the vehicle as a blue Subaru, but as he got close he could see it was a blue Pontiac Grand Prix.
Schmalshof said he wanted to get ahead of the vehicle and deploy spike strips, but remained behind it because of oncoming traffic.
Once he thought the road was clear, he tried to pass but saw a light ahead and thought it might be an oncoming vehicle, so he slowed and tried to re-enter the southbound lane. He said Mellenthin then braked, causing their vehicles to collide.
Schmalshof said it was not his intention to make impact with the vehicle or force Mellenthin from the road.
He said the impact caused Mellenthin’s car to spin sideways before leaving the road, while the patrol car left the road and went into a ditch.
The passenger
The state police report revelaed there was a passenger in Schmalshof’s vehicle. Tyler Mason was on a ride-along with Schamlshof that evening because he had just been hired by the Blandinsville Police Department.
Mason said they were eating dinner at the operations building in Macomb when central dispatch issued the call about the complaint.
Mason told investigators Schmalshof decided to see if they could help out, even though no request was made by police or the dispatch center.
Mason estimated Schmalshof drove 50 to 60 mph through Macomb and passed marked police squad cars near Routes 67 and 136 on the east edge of town.
As Schamlshof turned and traveled south on Route 67, Mason saw the speedometer reach 140 mph.
Once they caught up with the fleeing vehicle, the speedometer indicated 120 to 130 mph.
Mason said the road was clear ahead of them as they merged into the northbound lane. Then the front passenger side of Schmalshof’s squad car made contact with the rear driver’s side of Mellenthin’s car.
Mason said he was not aware of the lane positioning of the vehicles at that moment.
After the collision
When the two vehicles collided on Route 67 near North 750th Road -- about halfway between Macomb and Industry -- Mellenthin lost control, his car left the road and rolled over, ejecting him from the vehicle.
He suffered blunt force injuries to the head, neck, trunk, and extremities, and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The toxicology report notes the presence of methamphetamine, amphetamine, fentanyl, and other substances in Mellenthin’s system.
TSPR asked Coroner Eric Jameson earlier this year 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 Appellate Prosecutor’s office conducted an independent review of the state police investigation.
Following that review, McDonough County State’s Attorney Matt Kwacala said no charges are being filed because there is not sufficient evidence to convict Schmalshof of any crime.
The sheriff’s department placed Schmalshof on paid administrative leave. Sheriff Nick Petitgout said an internal investigation by a third party is still being done.
The sheriff’s vehicle pursuit policy
The ISP report includes a copy of the McDonough County Sheriff’s Office Vehicle Pursuit Policy.
The department’s position: “Law violators shall be apprehended whenever it is feasible under existing conditions. A deputy shall, however, terminate his/her involvement in a pursuit whenever the risks to his/her own safety, or the safety of others outweighs the danger to the community, if the suspect is not apprehended.”
The policy goes on to say pursuits should not be continued through areas of heavy traffic congestion, in residential areas, or through school zones.
It also states that deputies should weigh the seriousness of the violator’s suspected crime against the potential for death or injury.
Per the policy, the responsibility for beginning and continuing a chase rests with the individual deputy involved, that deputies should weigh the possibility of apprehending a suspect when deciding whether to pursue, and should refrain from entering an ongoing pursuit unless directly assigned to do so by the shift supervisor or at the request of a neighboring county sheriff’s office.
It states that a supervisor shall be notified of any roadblock or deployment of stop sticks in a pursuit situation.
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