ISP vehicle struck by DUI driver on I-94 northbound ramp to Cumberland Avenue
CHICAGO (CBS) – A Chicago man is charged after striking an Illinois State Police vehicle on I-94 Thursday morning.
ISP said a Chicago District trooper was stationary on the I-94 northbound ramp to Cumberland Avenue with emergency lights activated. The trooper was investigating a previous crash when a gray Jeep traveling northbound on I-90 failed to yield – striking the squad car.
The driver of the previous crash was sitting in the front seat of the squad car, according to ISP.
The ISP trooper and driver of the Jeep suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to a local hospital for treatment. The driver of the previously crashed vehicle was uninjured, ISP said.
The driver of the Jeep was identified as Robert Regal, 27, of Chicago.
He is charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, and improper passing of an emergency vehicle causing injury to another -- also known as Scott's Law.
Violators of Scott's Law will face a fine of no less than $250 or more than $10,000 for a first offense. If the violation results in injury to another person, the violator's driver's license will be suspended for a mandatory period of anywhere between six months and two years.
Scott's Law says when approaching an emergency vehicle, or any vehicle with their emergency or hazard lights activated, drivers are required to slow down and move over.
So far this year, there have been 14 ISP squad cars struck in relation to the Move Over Law and seven troopers have suffered injuries from Move Over Law-related crashes.