Illinois State Police say the first two Scott's Law crashes in 2023 both involved drunk drivers and came just over 24 hours apart.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WREX) — Illinois State Police say the first two Scott's Law crashes in 2023 both involved drunk drivers and came just over 24 hours apart.
ISP says the first crash happened just before 2:30 a.m. on Saturday on Interstate 57 at the entrance ramp from Illinois Rt. 17 in Kankakee County.
An ISP Trooper had pulled someone over on the right shoulder of the interstate. ISP says the squad car was stopped on the shoulder with their emergency lights activated.
A Dodge Charger, driven by 74-year-old Jonnie Wilson, of Kokomo, Ind., did not yield to the emergency vehicle and hit the left side of the squad car. The Trooper was inside the car at the time of the crash and was not hurt.
Wilson then drove away from the crash, but was later stopped by the Bradley, Ill. Police Department. Wilson is charged with Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, a violation of Scott’s Law, Failure to Reduce Speed to Avoid an Accident, and Operating an Uninsured Motor Vehicle.
Just over 24 hours later, at around 6 a.m. on Sunday, ISP says another Scott's Law-related crash happened on Interstate 94 at 11th St. in Cook County.
An ISP Trooper's squad car was stopped on the right shoulder in the southbound lanes with emergency lights flashing while the Trooper was guiding traffic around a previous crash. A Toyota Corolla, driven by 21-year-old Nataly Guy, of Evergreen Park, Ill., did not yield to the squad car and hit the left side of the vehicle.
The Trooper was inside of the squad car at the time and was not hurt. After hitting the squad car, the Corolla then rear-ended an empty car that was involved in the earlier crash.
Guy was taken to an area hospital for treatment of injuries. ISP did not specify Guy's condition. Guy is charged with Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, a violation of Scott’s Law, and Failure to Reduce Speed to Avoid an Accident.
In 2022, there were 23 Scott's Law-related crashes involving the Illinois State Police. Eight ISP Troopers were injured in those crashes.
Scott's Law, also known as the Move Over Law, requires drivers to slow down and move over when approaching any vehicle with emergency or hazard lights flashing.
Anyone who violates Scott's Law faces a fine of between $250 and $10,000 for a first offense. If the violation results in injury to another person, the violator's driver's license will be suspended for anywhere between six months and two years.
For more information about Scott's Law-related crashes, visit the Illinois State Police's Move Over Law dashboard.
