EAST ST. LOUIS – Illinois State Police (ISP) officials investigated a traffic crash in East St. Louis involving an ISP squad car hit by an intoxicated driver who failed to move over.
On November 14, 2024, at approximately 9:34 p.m., an ISP trooper activated the squad’s emergency lights and parked it on the left shoulder of Interstate 55 northbound at milepost 1.9 near East Broadway to assist with a crash that had just occurred. Around 10:05 p.m., a gray Chevrolet truck failed to move over, drove onto the left shoulder, and struck the rear of the parked squad car.
Fortunately, the trooper was not inside the squad car when it was hit. Due to the extensive damage, the squad car had to be towed from the scene.
The driver of the Chevrolet was identified as 40-year-old Omar Castillo Loera of Alamo, Texas. ISP issued Castillo citations for the Move Over Law – Failure to Yield to Stationary Emergency Vehicle, Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Failure to Reduce Speed to Avoid an Accident, and Improper Lane Usage.
Already in 2024, ISP has suffered 23 Move Over Law-related crashes with 11 troopers injured. In 2023, ISP had 21 Move Over Law-related crashes with seven troopers injured, and suffered 25 crashes in 2022 leaving 13 troopers injured. ISP reminds the public 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.
A person who violates the Move Over Law faces a fine of no less than $250 and no 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. Additional information can be found at the following link: https://isp.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/340d57cd956c453da2de25af804c268d.