A state trooper sustained serious injuries after being struck by a car driven by an unlicensed driver this past Monday on Interstate 57, the Illinois State Police reported. The incident occurred near 108th Street where the trooper, with emergency lights activated, had parked on the right shoulder in response to an earlier two-vehicle collision.
According to FOX 32 Chicago, the trooper was outside the vehicle on a grassy embankment when a black Hyundai, failing to adhere to traffic laws, veered onto the shoulder and hit the trooper and also the two parked vehicles that were involved in the prior accident, the driver of the Hyundai, Dario A. Lopez-Arevalo, 22, of Robbins, was later charged with an aggravated Scott’s Law violation which mandates drivers to change lanes and slow down for stopped emergency vehicles.
Lopez-Arevalo, who did not possess a valid driver's license and was operating an uninsured vehicle, faces multiple charges stemming from the incident, including additional Illinois Vehicle Code violations, as noted by the Chicago Sun-Times. He has a court appearance scheduled for November 12th.
This recent crash highlights a concerning trend with 21 crashes related to Scott's Law violations occurring statewide in 2024, resulting in injuries to 10 state troopers, officials from Illinois State Police shared the grim statistic pointing to a resistance or ignorance to laws designed for protecting those who serve.
