I-80 Cattle Hauler Faces Driving Under Influence Of Drugs Charge

JOLIET, IL — The Illinois State Police announced on Wednesday that a 51-year-old Virginia man who crashed his semitrailer hauling cattle east of Houbolt Road, causing a six-hour shutdown of eastbound Interstate 80, has been charged with driving under the influence of drugs.

Bradley Pate, who hails from Waynesboro, Virginia, remains hospitalized with life-threatening injuries at Joliet's St. Joe's hospital, according to Illinois State Police. He was also cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and improper lane use.

According to state police, Pate was traveling in the right lane of I-80 while there was a disabled semi-trailer driven by a 30-year-old man from Evanston on the right shoulder.

"For unknown reasons," police said the cattle hauler veered off the road and hit the Evanston man's semi. The cattle hauler continued eastbound, hitting a third vehicle, before coming to a rest in the center median. The vehicle, hauling 33 cattle, was torn open and approximately 16 cattle were thrown onto the interstate, state police said.

The third vehicle was a 2003 Honda Coupe driven by an 82-year-old Chicago man. He was taken to a local hospital and his injuries were not life-threatening, police said.

The Illinois State Police killed two of the cattle because of their injuries, officials said.

Local farmers on horseback helped the state police round up the remaining cattle to haul away to a local storage location. All eastbound lanes of I-80 that were shut down from Houbolt Road to Larkin Avenue were reopened at approximately 9:45 p.m.

More Patch Coverage: Livestock Roam I-80 In Joliet After Semi Wreck: 'It Was Interesting'