Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog
A 21-year-old man has been criminally charged for allegedly driving drunk when he slammed into a Chicago police officer during a traffic stop, the Sun-Times reported.
It is the latest in a string of Chicago car accidents that have injured law enforcement officers conducting traffic stops.
As we reported last month on our Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, a trooper was struck on I-80 while conducted a traffic stop involving a suspected drunk driver.
The accident happened early Thursday morning on the Northwest Side. The officer had a vehicle stopped in the 5600 block of West Foster Avenue when he was struck by another vehicle. Police report the at-fault vehicle had turned onto Foster from Central and was on the wrong side of the street traveling at a high rate of speed.
The car crashed into the woman’s car and her open car door slammed into the officer, throwing him to the ground. He was transported to Our Lady of the Resurrection Medical Center. The drivers of both vehicles were also taken to Resurrection for treatment.
The defendant was charged with DUI, negligent driving, driving without a license and failure to keep in the lane, according to Chicago police.
As we reported on our Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, Scott’s Law requires motorists to move over or slow down for stopped emergency or construction vehicle’s with activate lights.
Violators face a mandatory court appearance, a license suspension and a fine of up to $10,000. The law is named for a Chicago Fire Department lieutenant who was working an accident scene on the Dan Ryan Expressway when he was struck and killed by a drunk driver.
The law also applies to road crews, as authorities work to reduce the number of serious and fatal Illinois road construction accidents through the upcoming summer construction season.