State Trooper Injured When Squad Car Struck On Edens Expressway

LINCOLNWOOD, IL — An state trooper was injured Wednesday after a driver struck the back of his vehicle on the Edens Expressway. Illinois State Police said the trooper had been stopped on the shoulder assisting a motorist with his emergency lights activated at the time of the crash.

Around 11:15 a.m., a motorist veered out of the left lane and onto the left shoulder in the northbound lanes of Interstate 94 south of Touhy Avenue, striking the squad car.

State police said the trooper was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening and was released by the evening. The driver of the other vehicle was uninjured and was cited for improper lane usage, failure to reduce speed to avoid a crash and a violation of Scott's Law, also known as the "Move Over" law.

"First responders, and all emergency personnel, risk their lives daily to protect and help the public; we ask the public to please help keep them safe as well," Capt. Margaret McGreal of ISP Chicago District said in a statement, reminding all drivers to be alert, slow down and move over if possible whenever encountering an emergency vehicle with its lights on.

Seven state troopers have been struck while handling incidents on duty in the first six weeks of 2019, according to ISP.

On Jan. 12, Trooper Christoper Lambert, of Highland Park, was killed after being hit by a vehicle after stopping to help drivers involved in a multi-car collision while on his way home on Interstate 294 near Willow Road in Northbrook. A Wisconsin accountant faces reckless homicide charges aggravated under Scott's Law in connection with the crash.

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