(SALEM, IL) — The 17-year-old male passenger in the fatal Wednesday morning crash of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office prisoner transport van had been charged in Marion County Court with felony burglary of the Jumpin’ Jimmy’s Convenience store on Route 37 in Salem. According to police reports, the juvenile male allegedly entered the store Tuesday morning and displayed a knife to the clerk and asked for money. When the clerk saw the 5-inch blade she reportedly asked if the young man was kidding and the suspect reportedly fled without receiving any money. The clerk then called police and provided a description of the suspect. The juvenile was reportedly in possession of a knife when he was subsequently taken into custody near the Oak Park Apartments and Salem Community Center. The Salem K-9 officer tracked the trail the juvenile took from the store and officers reportedly located a pair of sunglasses he was believed to have worn when entering the store. The suspect was charged that afternoon was ordered held overnight in the Franklin County Juvenile Detention Facility at Benton. He was being returned to the detention facility Wednesday morning and the crash on Interstate 57 occurred around 8 a.m. The juvenile suffered serious injuries in the crash that claimed the life of the correctional officer driving the van.

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