Illinois State Police

Illinois State Trooper hospitalized after being struck inside vehicle on I-94 in Chicago

The crash occurred at approximately 2:20 a.m. Saturday

An Illinois State Trooper was hospitalized after being struck by a vehicle that failed to move over while inside their vehicle investigating a previous traffic crash on I-94 in Chicago, authorities said.

According to officials, the trooper was parked inside their vehicle at approximately 2:20 a.m. Saturday in the left lane of southbound I-94 near 111th Street handling a previous traffic crash when an Audi struck the trooper's squad car from behind.

The trooper was taken to a local hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

The driver of the Audi, 47-year-old Samuel Oatis III of Dolton, was transported to a local hospital along with his passenger with non life-threatening injuries.

Oatis was issued three citations in connection to the crash, including following too closely and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.

The crash marks the 24th crash in Illinois in 2024 related to the Move Over Law, with eight troopers sustaining injuries in the crashes.

The Move Over Law, also known as "Scott's Law," requires all drivers to move over when approaching an emergency vehicle or any vehicle with its emergency or hazard lights activated.

Contact Us