An Illinois State Police trooper was injured after a motorist rear-ended his patrol car on southbound I-94 early Saturday morning, department officials said.
State police said a 47-year-old Dolton man has been identified as the driver of the Audi that rear-ended the patrol car. He has since been cited for violating the “Move Over” law, which requires drivers to change lanes and reduce speed when approaching stopped emergency vehicles displaying flashing warning lights.
The officer’s patrol car was struck around 2:20 a.m. while they were responding to a traffic accident on the highway near 111th Street in Pullman. The vehicle’s emergency lights were activated while it was parked in one of the lanes.
The police officer was inside the car at the time of the accident. They were taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, as were the driver of the Audi and his passenger.
For violating the “Move Over” law, the Audi driver faces a fine of between $250 and $10,000. Because the accident injured a police officer, the driver also faces a mandatory suspension of his driver’s license for a period of six months to two years.
The incident marks the 17th time since the beginning of 2024 that drivers violating the “Move Over” law have collided with Illinois State Police vehicles, police said. Eight officers have been injured in such crashes this year.
This rule is also known as “Scott’s Law,” in honor of Scott Gillen, a Chicago Fire Department officer who was fatally struck by a drunk driver in 2000 while assisting at the scene of a traffic accident.
