What's New
A 35-year-old Illinois State Police trooper was killed after being struck by a vehicle on Interstate 55 while cleaning up debris on the road, officials announced on Tuesday.
Why It Matters
The trooper's death marked the latest in over two dozen roadside crashes involving state police this year, officials said.
What To Know
Illinois State Trooper Clay Carns was struck and killed Monday night while removing debris from Interstate 55 about 50 miles outside of Chicago. State police said Carns had pulled onto the shoulder around 9:45 p.m. local time, activated his emergency lights and had exited his vehicle when he was hit by a Chevrolet Silverado.
"Trooper Carns exited his vehicle and was standing in the lane grabbing the debris when a Chevrolet Silverado struck Trooper Carns. The driver of the Chevrolet was identified as John Fleet," the Illinois State Police said in a news release.
Carns, an 11-year veteran of the Illinois State Police, was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead late Monday night.
"He was assigned to Troop 3. He is survived by his wife Meghan, children Gray and Ally, parents Patti and Danny Carns, and siblings Chad Carns, Erica (Carns) Raciack, and Elyssa Carns," the Illinois State Police said.
Following the incident, the Illinois State Police announced that they had arrested Fleet.
Fleet, a 69-year-old resident of Wilmington, Illinois, was arrested for "for Scott's Law (Class 4 Felony)," the Illinois State Police said.
Move Over Law-Related Crashes
Illinois' "Move Over Law" mandates that drivers slow down and switch lanes when approaching stopped vehicles on the roadside. Known as Scott's Law, it was named in honor of Chicago Fire Lieutenant Scott Gillen, who was fatally struck while assisting at a crash scene in 2000.
In the press release, the Illinois State Police said that in 2024, the law enforcement agency has "suffered 26 Move Over Law-related crashes with twelve troopers injured and one death."
"In 2023, ISP had 21 Move Over Law-related crashes with seven troopers injured and suffered 25 crashes in 2022 leaving 13 troopers injured. The Move Over Law, also known as 'Scott's Law' in Illinois, requires all drivers to move over when approaching an emergency vehicle or any vehicle with its emergency or hazard lights activated," police said.
What People Are Saying
In a statement, Indiana State Police Director Brendan Kelly said: "This is a sad day for the Illinois State Police as we mourn the death of Trooper Clay M. Carns, who was killed while serving the people of Illinois and working to keep our roadways safe."
What's Next
Police said that the Will County State's Attorney's Office approved the Scott's Law charge against Fleet and the ISP also filed several vehicle code violations against the man.
However, they noted that "these are not detainable offenses and Fleet was released."
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
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