ISP squad car struck on I-57 during traffic control in Douglas County

FOX23 News at 9 p.m.

ARCOLA, Ill., (KBSI) – An Illinois State Police (ISP) squad car was struck early Thursday morning on Interstate 57 in Douglas County as a trooper conducted traffic control for a previous crash.

At approximately 5:50 a.m., the trooper was parked across the northbound lanes of I-57 with emergency lights activated, directing traffic to exit at milepost 203 onto Illinois Route 133. A Chevrolet Trailblazer failed to move over or exit and struck the front passenger side of the squad car.

The trooper, who was outside of the vehicle at the time, was not injured. The driver of the Trailblazer, identified as 68-year-old Donald E. Morecraft of Robinson, Illinois, was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and a violation of Scott’s Law, also known as the Move Over Law.

So far in 2025, ISP has recorded 12 Move Over Law-related crashes. In 2024, there were 27 such incidents, resulting in 12 trooper injuries and one death. In 2023, ISP reported 21 crashes with seven troopers injured.

Scott’s Law requires drivers to move over and slow down when approaching an emergency vehicle or any vehicle displaying flashing or hazard lights. Violations carry fines between $250 and $10,000 for a first offense. If the violation causes injury, the offender’s driver’s license may be suspended for six months to two years.