A Cowden, Ill., police officer was killed Tuesday night while chasing a vehicle in Effingham County, Ill., police said.
A passenger in the vehicle, Jessica Stuckemeyer, 22, was treated for injuries and released from Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Cowden Mayor Lorne Barnes said Stuckemeyer was doing a ride-along to gain experience in preparation for entering the police academy.
Illinois State Police is investigating but has not released the officer's name. Barnes, however, identified him as Jeremy Hubbard, 35, of Effingham.
Hubbard crashed about 8:15 p.m. on North First Street, about a mile south of the junction of U.S. 40 and Illinois 128, police said. He lost control of his squad car and was ejected as the car flipped several times into a cornfield. Hubbard was pronounced dead at Greenville Regional Hospital in Bond County.
