A multi-county chase involving a U-Haul resulted in two Menard County residents being arrested on multiple charges.
According to Cass County Sheriff Devron Ohrn, yesterday afternoon Cass County deputies received information on a theft that had occurred from a residence in the City of Virginia. An observant citizen witnessed part or all of the acts and pursued the offending occupants until they were able to disable his vehicle – a U-Haul truck that had taken an ATV and trailer. The trailer at one point became unhitched and ended up in a yard of a residence in Beardstown.
Ohrn says the observant resident got into an altercation with the driver of the U-Haul – later identified as 30-year old Tyler J. Cottingham of Petersburg. Cottingham is said to have pulled a knife during the argument with the unidentified resident and slashed their tires to keep them from chasing the U-Haul. The resident then alerted the Cass County Sheriff’s Office.
A Cass County Sheriff’s deputy located the the U-Haul later and was able to take Cottingham into custody in Beardstown. A passenger in the U-Haul, later identified as 40-year old Shauna R. Ashby, slipped into the driver’s seat while Cottingham was being apprehended and took off in the U-Haul from Beardstown. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office then issued an ISP bulletin on the vehicle.
A pursuit began down Illinois Route 125 with several other jurisdictions becoming involved, including the Illinois State Police near Illinois Route 97 at Bradfordton. For a brief time, the pursuit was terminated inside the City of Springfield. However, troopers once again located the U-Haul on southbound Interstate 55. Speeds were said to have reached between 75-80 miles per hour at times with the U-Haul weaving in traffic. The U-Haul eventually moved into the northbound lanes near Worden.
The chase was eventually terminated east of Litchfield on Illinois Route 16. During the chase, troopers learned that there were alleged stolen firearms in the vehicle. Once the vehicle was stopped, police deployed a K-9 unit to subdue Ashby to take her into custody.
According to booking information, Cottingham has been cited for a Sangamon County arrest warrant, methamphetamine possession, and criminal damage to property. He remains lodged at the Menard County Jail.
Ashby’s citations have not yet been released. She was treated at an area hospital for injuries sustained in her apprehension by the K-9 officer. She was also wanted on a Sangamon County arrest warrant for burglary at the time of the incident. She is currently lodged at the Montgomery County Jail.