Oak Brook, IL – An Illinois State Police trooper was injured early Sunday after a vehicle struck his squad car on Interstate 88 while he was assisting a stranded motorist, officials said.
According to Illinois State Police Troop 3, the crash happened around 4:02 a.m. Sunday at milepost 139 in DuPage County. Investigators said the trooper was parked on the right shoulder of I-88 behind a tractor-trailer that had broken down, with his emergency lights activated, when a Tesla allegedly failed to move over and struck the rear passenger side of the squad car. The impact pushed the squad vehicle into the back of the disabled tractor-trailer.
The trooper, who was inside the squad car at the time, sustained injuries and was transported to a local hospital. The Tesla’s driver, identified as 24-year-old Sebastian G. Rodriguez of Romeoville, was also hospitalized. Authorities reported that the trooper’s squad car was heavily damaged and towed from the scene. Rodriguez was charged with Driving Under the Influence and Aggravated Scott’s Law/Move Over Law violations.
Illinois State Police said this marks the ninth Move Over Law-related crash involving troopers so far in 2025. In 2024, ISP reported 27 such crashes, resulting in 12 troopers injured and one killed.
Scott’s Law, also known as the Move Over Law, requires drivers to change lanes or slow down when approaching emergency vehicles with flashing lights. Violations can result in fines ranging from $250 to $10,000, and in cases involving injury, driver’s license suspensions of six months to two years.
Officials with the Oak Brook Fire Department, which also responded to the crash, reminded motorists that moving over for emergency vehicles is not just a courtesy but the law.
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