Reckless Driver Killed Trooper Passing On Shoulder: Prosecutors

SKOKIE, IL — The Wisconsin man who fatally struck an Illinois state trooper helping to assist motorists involved in an Interstate 294 traffic crash earlier this month was recklessly passing on the shoulder, according to prosecutors. About 50 Illinois State Troopers packed a courtroom Tuesday in Skokie for the bond hearing of the Kenosha accountant charged in connection with the death of one of their own.

Scott A. Larsen, 61, faces three counts of reckless homicide of a police officer following the Jan. 12 death of Trooper Christopher Lambert, a 34-year-old Highland Park resident. The class 2 felony is aggravated under "Scott's Law" to carry a possible sentence of up to 14 years, according to prosecutors.

Assistant State's Attorney Andreana Turano described a series of events on a snowy afternoon in Northbrook that suggested other drivers had exercised caution but Larsen's dangerous driving led directly to the trooper's death.

'He's A Hero,' ISP Director Says Of Trooper Killed In Crash

Lambert had stopped to help drivers involved a multi-vehicle traffic crash scene on the left side of northbound I-294 around the Willow Road, with a Ford Explorer, a Buick LaCrosse and a silver Jeep involved in a crash, Turano said.

Separately, the driver of a gray Toyota Corolla lost control in the snow and intentionally drove into the median to avoid any further collision. Meanwhile, the driver of a Dodge Challenger with front and rear cameras installed had witnessed the incident and pulled over into the shoulder to share the evidence with police when they arrived, according to Turano.

Larsen was driving a black Jeep Cherokee with a single passenger at 71 mph in the 60 mph zone on I-294 about five minutes before the crash, the prosecutor said, citing Tollway records. After Lambert arrived and turned on his emergency lights behind the Dodge in the left lane of traffic, video captured a Mitsubishi Outlander passing the scene safely, slowing about 200 to 250 meters away from the crash scene.

Video from Lambert's car's camera and the Dodge's cameras shows he was in the process of getting information from the drivers of the vehicles involved in the earlier collisions, according to the supervising assistant state's attorney. The video shows Larsen's Jeep "moves over and passes this Mitsubishi at a high rate of speed on the left on the shoulder which ultimately struck and killed the trooper as well as crashed into cars that were stopped in the left lane," according to Turano.

"The defendant was driving on the shoulder and passing on the left when he struck the trooper," Turano said. "The Tollway camera shows that all cars prior to the defendant's car safely and slowly moving to the right to avoid the stopped vehicles and the emergency lights."

Larsen is being charged under "Scott's Law" which requires drivers to slow and move away from the lane of an emergency vehicle with activated lights.

"Individuals involved in the first two collisions attempted to perform CPR on the trooper before he was taken to the hospital and later pronounced deceased," the prosecutor said.

Tests showed Larsen's urine tested positive for marijuana and he told authorities he had "vaped" the night before the crash, according to Turano. A "vape" was found hidden in his Jeep, but he was not charged with driving under the influence of drugs or any drug offenses.

But prosecutors noted Larsen was convicted of felony DUI and reckless driving in 2016 and sentenced to 30 days in jail and two years of probation. He successfully petitioned to end probation early just over a year before Lambert's death.

Defense attorney Ron Neville said the loss of Lambert's life had been tragic and asked that Larsen be allowed to drive within Kenosha and to court, noting his client had stopped immediately at the time of the crash and fully cooperated with the investigation. Larsen had waived his right to an extradition hearing from Wisconsin and turned himself Monday to state police at the Northbrook Police Department.

"There will be absolutely no driving," Cook County Circuit Judge Anjana Hansen said, ordering Larsen to surrender his passport and driver's license. Larsen was required to post $25,000 as a cash portion of his bond ahead of his next court appearance Feb. 26.

"I will allow the defendant to reside in Wisconsin," Hansen said.

Illinois State Police District 15 Capt. Bob Meeder described Lambert, a U.S. Army veteran and a Dayton, Ohio, native who is survived by a wife and 1-year-old daughter, as a compassionate "breath of fresh air" who would always be remembered.

Read more: Wisconsin Man Charged With Reckless Homicide In Trooper's Death

"He took an oath five years ago when he came onto this department to serve and protect and unfortunately he paid the ultimate price that night." said State Police Major David Byrd, who promised troopers would be supporting Lambert's family throughout every step of the legal process.

"You learn to manage a tragic death like this, no never get over it, you never forget it," Byrd said. "I have a different point of view when it comes on Scott's Law, I was the officer in charge in December 2000 when Lt. Scott Gillen was killed on the Bishop Ford Freeway. So, 19 years later, here I am again, now with one of our officers. It's gone full circle for me personally. And that's why it's important for people to understand Scott's Law."

Its namesake, a 37-year-old Chicago firefighter, stopped to offer aid at the scene of a crash when he was fatally struck by an Indiana man who had been drinking when he drove past road flares, clipped the back of a tractor-trailer and and pinned him against a firetruck. He received a 13-year sentence in 2002, the Chicago Tribune reported. Under the law anytime emergency or highway maintenance vehicles are flashing warning lights, drivers are required to changes lanes, if it can be done safely, or slow down and exercise caution.

"You should slow down when you see emergency personnel on the shoulder. If you can move over, you should move over. There's no other way to look at this. It's for your safety and it's definitely for ours," Byrd said.