East St. Louis, IL – A Texas man is facing charges after allegedly driving under the influence and striking an Illinois State Police (ISP) squad car Thursday night on Interstate 55, marking the 23rd Move Over Law-related crash for ISP in 2024.
Authorities say Omar Castillo Loera, 40, of Alamo, Texas, drove a gray Chevrolet truck onto the left shoulder near milepost 1.9 in East St. Louis, colliding with a marked ISP squad car that had its emergency lights activated. The trooper was outside the vehicle at the time and was not injured in the incident, which occurred at approximately 10:05 p.m.
Loera was cited for violations including the Move Over Law, driving under the influence of alcohol, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, and improper lane usage. The crash caused significant damage to the ISP vehicle, which had to be towed.
ISP reports a rising number of incidents involving the Move Over Law, also known as “Scott’s Law,” with 23 crashes and 11 injuries so far in 2024. The law requires drivers to slow down and move over for stationary emergency vehicles. Violators face fines starting at $250 and harsher penalties for incidents involving injuries.
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