Illinois State Police agent accused of hitting Swansea teen’s car and leaving scene
An Illinois State Police special agent is accused of running a red light, crashing his unmarked SUV into a car driven by a teenage boy and leaving the scene of the accident in Shiloh.
The boy, Atticus Slocum, 16, of Swansea, wasn’t critically injured in the Dec. 7 crash, said his mother, Melissa Slocum. But she’s angry at the agent.
“He completely disregarded my son’s life,” she said Saturday, before authorities had released the name of Julian Feix, who’s part of ISP’s Public Safety Enforcement Group, a special investigations unit.
“He didn’t care if my son was dead or alive. Thanks to a higher power — we are Christians — I believe somebody was looking out for him, and it wasn’t this Illinois State Police person.”
Shiloh Police Department records show that Sgt. Chris Flynn cited Feix on charges of disregarding a traffic signal and leaving the scene.
In a police interview shortly after the accident, Feix reportedly told Flynn his grandmother was sick, and he was headed to see her in west Belleville when he “tapped somebody” at the intersection of Hartman Lane and Thouvenot Lane, which becomes Frank Scott Parkway.
Feix, 30, told Flynn he turned around at Lebanon Avenue and went back to the intersection, but the other vehicle was already gone.
“While speaking with Feix at his patrol car, I could smell the odor of alcohol emitting from his breath,” Flynn wrote in his Dec. 7 report. “Feix denied consuming any alcohol today.
“I asked Feix if it came down to it, would he be willing to submit to field sobriety test. Feix stated no. Feix did not appear to be unsteady on his feet nor did he sway back and forth.”
Shiloh’s daily police blotter described the accident as a “hit and run.” Atticus was driving a black 2015 Honda Fit, according to his mother. His name is redacted in Flynn’s reports.
Feix was driving a gold 2023 Ford Explorer, an unmarked Illinois State Police vehicle.
Flynn stated in one report that on Dec. 8, he watched Rainstorm Car Wash surveillance video, which showed the Explorer crashed into the Fit at 4:11 p.m. and drove back through the intersection at 4:24 p.m.
By that time, Atticus already had moved his car from the road to the parking lot of a Circle K gas station, with help from witnesses, and he stayed with it for about two hours, his mother said.
“He was alone (in the car),’” Melissa Slocum said. “He’s 16. He’s only had a driver’s license for three months, and he was as scared as anyone would be in this circumstance.”
Melissa Slocum said she has taken Atticus to hospital emergency rooms twice, first on Dec. 7 for an initial check-up and again on Friday night to determine the cause of back, neck and shoulder issues.
Slocum’s photos of the Fit show a badly damaged rear passenger door and windows filled with inflated side air bags.
The BND reached out to Melaney Arnold, spokeswoman for the Illinois State Police, on Monday and requested an interview with Feix’s supervisor, Lt. Jamie Brunnworth, who didn’t respond.
“ISP is conducting an internal investigation into the incident and the Special Agent involved is on restricted duty,” Arnold wrote in an email to the newspaper.
Shiloh Police Department records give the following timeline on Dec. 7:
- A Honda Fit traveling west on Thouvenot Lane stopped at a red light at the Hartman Lane intersection.
- After the light turned green, the Fit continued west into the intersection.
- A Ford Explorer traveling south on Hartman at 4:11 p.m. pulled into the turn lane, as if to go east on Thouvenot.
- With emergency lights activated, the Explorer entered the intersection “against a red light” and struck the Fit.
- The Fit spun around 180 degrees before coming to a stop while the Explorer continued south on Hartman.
- One witness reported hearing the Explorer’s siren “whoop” a couple of times while going through the intersection.
- Another witness told Flynn the Explorer almost hit a United Parcel Service truck before striking the Fit.
- Witnesses also stated the Explorer was traveling at a high rate of speed while leaving the scene.
“At approximately 4:24 p.m. the unmarked patrol car is north bound on Hartman Lane,” Flynn wrote in the report, describing what he saw on video. “The vehicle stops for the red light and then enters the intersection disregarding the red light causing east bound traffic to slow avoiding a collision with the patrol car.”
Feix reportedly contacted Brunnworth about the accident. She called Flynn at 4:41 p.m. and gave him Feix’s name and address, and they all met at Feix’s apartment for an interview at 4:52 p.m. At that time, Flynn observed front-end damage on the Explorer.
Atticus’ mother said Brunnworth called her on Thursday to check on Atticus and express regret about the accident.
“(The agent) should have stopped, no matter what,” Melissa Slocum said.
This story was originally published December 17, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
