Around 3 a.m. on April 2nd, 2023, Taylor Benham was in her grandma’s vehicle along with two male passengers.
Winnebago County Sheriff Deputies Jacob Savino and Ortega spotted the vehicle and allegedly recognized the two male occupants. Savino, the driver, began to follow the car causing it speed off before it stopped in the area of Rockton Avenue and Knight Avenue.
There, the two male occupants exited the vehicle and Taylor Benham sped off with the deputies continuing their pursuit.
The chase lasted over ten minutes with speeds reaching as high as 92 MPH. It came to a fatal end when Taylor lost control of the vehicle crashing into a tree. She later died from her injuries.
Police said they were following the vehicle because they suspected it to be stolen. It was not reported stolen nor was a vehicle matching that description recently reported stolen.
This was the 35th case investigated and justified by the Winnebago Boone County Integrity Task Force.