MULTIPLE ILLINOIS STATE POLICE SQUAD CARS STRUCK ON INTERSTATES ACROSS THE STATE

March 17, 2026

Four ISP Trooper squad cars hit in nearly 12 hours

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Police (ISP) experienced three Move Over Law-related crashes while responding to emergency incidents across Illinois on March 16, 2026. An additional squad car was also struck by a passing motorist in a weather-related crash.

​ISP Troop 3 suffered the first Move Over Law-related crash of the day at approximately 4 a.m. on I-80 westbound near Houbolt Road in Will County. A Trooper was stopped behind a crash scene with their emergency lights activated when a vehicle failed to move over and side swiped the driver’s side of the Trooper’s squad car. The Trooper was inside his squad car at the time of the crash but was uninjured. The driver of the striking vehicle was cited for a Move Over Law violation. This is ISP’s 5th Move Over Law-related crash of 2026.

​The second Move Over Law-related crash of the day occurred at approximately 4:10 a.m. while another Trooper was assisting with the first Move-Over-related crash on I-80. Another vehicle passing the crash scene failed to move over and struck one of the vehicles in the initial crash, which then got pushed into the second Trooper’s squad car. No injuries were reported. That driver was also cited for a Move Over Law violation. This is ISP’s 6th Move Over Law-related crash of 2026.

​The third Move Over Law-related crash occurred in ISP Troop 5 at approximately 4:45 p.m. on northbound I-57 at milepost 295 in Ashkum, Iroquois County. A Trooper with ISP’s Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Bureau was stopped on the shoulder with their emergency lights activated, assisting a motorist. A truck-tractor semi-trailer failed to move over and struck the rear end of the squad car, pushing it forward into the vehicle that the Trooper was assisting. The Trooper was transported to a hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries. Three other occupants involved in the crash were also transported with injuries. The truck driver was cited for a Move Over Law violation. This is ISP’s 7th Move Over Law-related crash of 2026.

​ISP experienced an additional squad car crash due to weather-related roadway conditions. ISP Troop 1 suffered a crash at approximately 4:25 p.m. on I-88 westbound near IL-78 (milepost 23.5) in Whiteside County. A Trooper was stopped with their emergency lights activated, assisting a motorist that slid off the roadway. A sedan reportedly lost control and struck the rear of the Trooper’s squad car. The Trooper was inside of the squad car at the time of the crash and suffered serious, but non-life-threatening injuries. The crash investigation is ongoing, and charges may potentially be filed with the State’s Attorney’s Office pending the outcome of the investigation.

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​So far in 2026, ISP has suffered seven Move Over Law-related crashes. In 2025, ISP reported 15 Move Over Law-related crashes with seven Troopers injured. In 2024, ISP had 27 Move Over Law-related crashes with 12 injuries and one death. ISP reminds the public the Move Over Law, also known as “Scott’s Law,” in Illinois, requires all drivers to slow down and move over when approaching an emergency vehicle, emergency worker, or any vehicle with its emergency or hazard lights activated.
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​A person who violates the Move Over Law faces a fine of no less than $250 and no more than $10,000 for a first offense. If the violation results in injury to another person, the violator’s driver’s license will be suspended for a mandatory period of anywhere between six months and two years. Additional information about ISP related crashes can be found at the following link: https://isp.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/340d57cd956c453da2de25af804c268d.

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