Coroner: Yorkville driver shot self in Saturday police chase in La Salle County

The motorist who died in a Saturday police pursuit near Sheridan died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the La Salle County Coroner’s Office said in a Tuesday news release.

The driver and sole occupant has been identified as John S. Calder, 40, of Yorkville. A forensic investigative autopsy was conducted Aug. 31, with preliminary results indicating that he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound before the crash.

Calder was involved in a police pursuit about 1:30 a.m. Saturday when a La Salle County sheriff’s deputy followed a Chevrolet pickup on Route 71 after it fled a traffic stop. The pursuit ended in a crash at Route 71 and East 2631 Road near Sheridan. The driver of the pickup was pronounced dead at the scene.

Calder’s death and the crash are under investigation by the La Salle County Coroner’s Office and Illinois State Police.