January 6 Rioter From Illinois Now Charged With Murder in Fatal Car Crash

A January 6 rioter who pled guilty to associated charges stemming from his involvement in the Jan. 6 Insurrectio in Washington, D.C, Shane Jason Woods Now Charged With Murder in Fatal Car Crash in Sangamon County.

According to the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s office, Woods, of Auburn was driving north in the southbound lane on I-55 in Springfield when his pickup truck slammed into a car

driven by 35-year-old Lauren Wegner of Clayton, North Carolina. Wegner died from multiple blunt force injuries, according to the coroner's report.

Woods has been indicted on felony counts of first-degree murder, aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol and aggravated fleeing and eluding a peace officer and is being held in Sangamon County Jail, being held in lieu of a $2 million bond, but the county filed a petition to deny bail, based on the severity of his actions as well as his previous conviction for his involvement in the Jan. 6 riot.

“The evidence will show the Defendant made numerous statements before and after the fatal collision on Interstate 55 which establish his intent to enter upon the highway for the purpose of striking another vehicle,” the petition said.

The sentence for first-degree murder in Illinois is 20 years to life in state prison.

According to the AP, It was not immediately clear who is representing Woods in the case. Dwight Crawley, Woods' defense attorney for the U.S. Capitol riot case, did not immediately return a call requesting comment.

According to publicly available information, Mr. Woods pleaded guilty in September to felony charges for assaulting a law enforcement officer and a member of the news media during the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol building. He is one of hundreds of Americans charged for crimes during the insurrection.

According to court documents, during the siege, Woods rammed his shoulder into a U.S. Capitol Police officer, knocking her into a bicycle barricade, and tackled a member of the media. His sentencing is scheduled for January 13, 2023.

The charge of assaulting, resisting, or impeding a law enforcement officer carries a statutory maximum sentence of eight years in prison. The federal assault charge carries a statutory maximum sentence of one year.

Woods is among more than 30 Illinois residents charged in the Capitol riot.