A De Soto Police pursuit of three people who allegedly stole a library donation jar ended when a fleeing car crashed and caught fire Monday afternoon (Jan. 29) in Washington County, injuring the three occupants, authorities reported.
The incident began about 9 a.m. when a man and woman showed up at the De Soto Public Library, 712 South Main St. The two went in and out of the library several times that morning and then met a second man on the parking lot before they allegedly stole the donation jar and left in a black Chevrolet, De Soto Police interim Chief Mike McMunn said.
Library director Tony Benningfield said the jug had been on display for about a year, and it was being used to collect money to purchase mystery items for public use. He said the jar was about two-thirds full and contained between $500 and $700.
“This thing was heavy, probably 60 to 70 pounds,” Benningfield said. “I was sure it wasn’t going to walk off.”
A De Soto Police officer spotted the black Chevrolet, which had temporary tags, traveling west on Amvets Drive, and after attempting to stop the car, the officer began pursuing it, McMunn said.
A 21-year-old Potosi man was driving the car, and a 28-year-old Festus woman and 26-year-old De Soto man were passengers, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report.
McMunn said the police were traveling about 60-70 feet behind the vehicle, which passed three vehicles on Hwy. 21.
He said he does not know how fast the Chevrolet was going.
Police pursued the car and when it reached the Washington County area, it made a right onto Hwy. 47 and headed west. The De Soto Police Department notified the Washington County Sheriff’s Department about the pursuit, McMunn said.
At about 12:45 p.m., as the suspects’ vehicle began rounding a curve, passing one or two vehicles, the officer lost sight of the vehicle for a moment but after entering the curve, spotted the Chevrolet off the left side of the road in a ditch, McMunn said.
The vehicle had overturned and was engulfed in flames, a report said.
The 28-year-old Festus woman and the 26-year-old De Soto man were thrown from the vehicle, Missouri State Highway Patrol Cpl. Juston Wheetley said.
Neither the woman nor man was wearing a seat belt, according to the report.
The driver, who was wearing a seatbelt, was able to get out of the car before it caught fire, Wheetley said.
He said the car was fully ablaze by the time the fire department got there.
The woman was taken by Air Evac helicopter to Mercy Hospital St. Louis in Creve Coeur with serious injuries, the Missouri State Highway Patrol reported.
She remained in serious condition this afternoon (Jan. 30), a hospital spokeswoman said.
The De Soto man was moderately injured, and the Potosi man had minor injuries, the report said. They were both transported by Washington County Ambulance District to St. Anthony’s Medical Center in south St. Louis County, the report said.
The De Soto man was listed in satisfactory condition as of Tuesday afternoon, and the Potosi man was treated and released, a St. Anthony’s spokesman said.
De Soto Police will seek charges against all three for felony stealing and will consider charges against the driver for resisting arrest, failure to yield and traffic violations, McMunn said.
Benningfield said police returned $98.10 to the library, adding that police didn’t tell him what happened to the jar.
Benningfield said the library will restart a collection to purchase mystery items for patrons’ use, but instead of putting out a jar, donations will be taken at the counter and a poster board thermometer will indicate how much money has been collected.