An Illinois State Police trooper was hospitalized after being struck by a vehicle on Interstate 57 in the Morgan Park neighborhood, causing hours of traffic delays as all northbound lanes were temporarily shut down. The incident, occurring near 107th Street around 10:25 a.m. on Monday, unfolded while the trooper was responding to a prior crash involving another trooper, as stated in an announcement from state police and fire department officials.
Details from the Chicago Sun-Times indicate that the trooper was transported to Advocate Christ Medical Center in good condition according to Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Merritt, the traffic which was halted to facilitate emergency response and a thorough investigation created a temporary but significant interruption in the day-to-day bustle of the far South Side's roadways.
The ABC7 Chicago report confirmed the involvement of an ISP trooper in the crash, though the specific conditions of the trooper's injuries were not disclosed by authorities; congruently, after the crash investigation was completed, the lanes which were closed for hours for the crash investigation were eventually reopened to the public by 12:30 p.m., reinstating a semblance of normalcy to the area's traffic flow.
As of this report, the Illinois State Police have not released further details about the cause of the crash nor the identity of the trooper involved, updates will follow as the story develops.
