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Illinois state trooper killed by passing vehicle just before Christmas
An Illinois State Trooper was killed Monday night in Will County when he was struck by a car while removing debris from an expressway.
WILL COUNTY - An Illinois State Trooper was killed Monday night in Will County when he was struck by a car while removing debris from an expressway.
It happened on the very same day designated as "Scott’s Law Day" in Illinois, a day to remind drivers to slow down and move over when approaching emergency vehicles.
"Needless to say, our trooper was out there trying to make sure more people didn't get hurt," said Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly.
The fatal crash happened just before 10 p.m. Thirty-five-year-old State Trooper Clay Carns, a married father of two young children, was removing debris from the southbound lanes of I-55 near Channahon when he was struck by a passing vehicle.
Carns was taken to St. Joseph Hospital in Joliet, where he died about an hour later.
"Any time we lose a trooper, it hurts," said Kelly. "But today it's Christmas Eve. On December 24th. So this kind of hurts in a very particular way."
ISP Trooper Clay M. Carns
Police identified the driver of the vehicle that hit Carns as 69-year-old John Fleet of Wilmington. Fleet was arrested and charged with a felony for violating Scott's Law, also known as the "Move Over" law, which requires drivers to slow down or move over when emergency vehicles are on the side of the road.
The Illinois State Police say so far this year there have been 26 Scott’s Law-related crashes in Illinois, causing 12 injuries and now one death to troopers. That's up from last year, when 21 crashes injured seven troopers.
"Unfortunately the troopers in this area have been affected greatly," said Illinois State Police Captain Patrick Manno. "And so now we're much more educated and much more focused on enforcing those laws."
ISP arrested John Fleet, 69, of Wilmington, after the crash.
Last week, FOX 32 tagged along as a state trooper showed some of the dangers they face when drivers don't slow down or change lanes.
"Typically at midnights you'll feel the (squad) car move," said Trooper Ron Howe. "Because they're going that fast."
In October, Illinois partnered with Waze and Google Maps to become one of the first states in the country to give real-time alerts letting drivers know when and where state troopers are pulled over.
Trooper Carns had been with the state police for 11 years, and officials say his death was entirely preventable.
"People got to give a damn and they got to pay attention to what they're doing," said Kelly.
On January 1, changes to Scott's Law go into effect that extend it beyond law enforcement. Scott's Law will also now apply to construction zones to hopefully increase safety for construction workers.
Scott's Law violations
The crash was just the latest in an alarming number of instances in which the state's Scott's Law or Move-Over Law was violated on highways.
Recent crash reports paint a grim picture:
- December 15, I-55, DuPage County: A trooper narrowly escaped disaster when a car slammed into their squad during an investigation. The driver was cited.
- November 5, I-94: A speeding car hit a squad car at an accident site, injuring the trooper. The driver was arrested for DUI, cannabis possession, and multiple traffic violations.
- October 29, Will County: A drunk driver crashed into a parked squad car while a trooper handled a crash. Fortunately, the trooper was outside. The driver was arrested for DUI and cited for violating Scott’s Law.