On March 5, 2022, at approximately 8:34 p.m., Champaign Police responded to the area of Windsor Road and Neil Street for the report of a traffic accident. The initial traffic accident involved two vehicles and no injuries. At 9:06 p.m., as officers were still on scene, an operator for a local tow company was cleaning up debris in the roadway remaining from the initial accident when a vehicle southbound on Neil Street, driven by a 16-year-old Tolono man, struck the tow company operator. The tow company operator, a 20-year-old St. Joseph man, was transported to Carle Foundation Hospital by ambulance with life-threatening injuries.
The preliminary investigation indicates the driver failed to move over and struck the tow company operator. The driver of the vehicle cooperated with police and there were no indicators of impairment. A citation for a Scott’s Law violation was issued to the driver and he was released.
The Champaign Police Department would like to remind the public of the statutory requirements of Scott’s Law.
Scott’s Law, 625 ILCS 5/11- 907(c), mandates that upon approaching a stationary authorized emergency vehicle, when the authorized emergency vehicle is giving a signal by displaying alternately flashing red, red and white, blue, or red and blue lights or amber or yellow warning lights, a person who drives an approaching vehicle shall:
- proceeding with due caution, yield the right-of-way by making a lane change into a lane not adjacent to that of the authorized emergency vehicle, if possible with due regard to safety and traffic conditions, if on a highway having at least 4 lanes with not less than 2 lanes proceeding in the same directions as the approaching vehicle; or
- if changing lanes would be impossible or unsafe, proceeding with due caution, reduce the speed of the vehicle, maintaining a safe speed for road conditions and leaving a safe distance until safely past the stationary emergency vehicles.
Illinois State Police are assisting with the investigation and reconstruction of the accident scene.
Anyone who witnessed the incident or has additional information is asked to please call police at 217-351-4545. Arrangements can be made for information to be shared privately. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may also submit tips to Crime Stoppers by phone at: 217-373-8477 (TIPS); online at 373tips.com; or the “P3 Tips” mobile app.
Champaign Police reminds citizens that information submitted to Crime Stoppers is completely anonymous. Calls are routed to a third-party national call center that receives your information, completes a tips information form, and then passes the information to the appropriate law enforcement agency. Caller ID tracking is not utilized by Crime Stoppers and conversations are not recorded.