SUV veers off of I-64 in southern Illinois and sideswipes police car, injuring trooper

Illinois State Police are investigating a two-vehicle traffic crash Thursday morning involving a trooper on Interstate 64 near Mount Vernon.

The trooper was stationary in his fully-marked squad car on the right shoulder of I-64 in Jefferson County. The vehicle’s emergency lights were activated to alert drivers to an Illinois Department of Transportation work crew.

Around 10:20 a.m., an eastbound black Toyota Rav 4 driven by Tracey L. Adams, 52, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, side-swiped the driver’s side of the squad car, according to a release from the state police. Police say she veered off the roadway onto the right shoulder striking the trooper’s patrol car.

The trooper, whose identity has not been released, was transported to a local hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries and was later released.

Adams, who reported no injuries, was charged with a violation of the Scott’s Law for improperly passing of an emergency vehicle and causing an injury, the ISP release stated.

“ISP Troopers work alongside our partner agencies, including the Illinois Department of Transportation, to improve the safety and condition of our roadways throughout Illinois, ISP District 13 Commander Capt. Joshua Anderton said in a statement. “We are asking the public to avoid putting their lives at risk by making responsible choices when behind the wheel, especially in construction zones.”

So far this year, there have been 12 Illinois State Police squad cars struck on highways and six troopers have been injured.

Scott’s Law, also known as the “Move Over” law, requires drivers to slow down and move to another lane when approaching an emergency vehicle, or any vehicle with their emergency or hazard lights activated.

This story was originally published May 13, 2022 at 12:27 PM.