An Illinois State Police master sergeant escaped injury early Saturday morning after a vehicle slammed into his patrol vehicle while he was pulled over on the side of the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway.
According to authorities, the master sergeant had pulled off onto the left shoulder of the road in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 90 in suburban Rolling Meadows at approximately 1:41 a.m. There, the sergeant was observing an abandoned stolen vehicle, according to a press release.
The master sergeant activated his lights, and the vehicle was fully marked, authorities said.
At that time, a vehicle traveling east on the roadway veered off onto the left shoulder, striking the rear end of the squad car, which then hit the stolen vehicle in front of it.
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The officer was uninjured in the incident. The driver and passenger in the vehicle were taken to an area hospital, where they were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
The driver, a 26-year-old Elgin man, was charged with violating Scott’s Law, a bill that requires drivers to slow down and to move over when approaching an emergency vehicle with its lights activated.
The driver was also charged with aggravated DUI, reckless driving, failure to reduce speed, and driving without a valid driver’s license.
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According to Illinois State Police, at least 20 squad cars have been hit so far this year, with 12 troopers sustaining injuries in those crashes.
“These crashes are completely preventable, and I am asking the public to avoid putting the lives of others at risk by making responsible choices when behind the wheel; always move over when you approach a stationary vehicle on the side of the road,” Captain Jason Bradley, commander of District 15, said in a statement.
