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According
to Illinois State Police, at 9:42 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 23, Trooper Clay Carns was
outside his squad car removing debris from a lane on southbound I-55
north of Blodgett Road near Channahon when he was struck by a passing
vehicle.
The driver of the vehicle, John Fleet, a 69-year-old from Wilmington, has been charged with one felony count in regards to the accident that cost the trooper his life. The defendant has been charged with violating Scott's Law, or the "Move Over" law, by not yielding to first responders in the roadway.
According to a press release, trooper Carns got out of his vehicle and was standing in the lane grabbing the debris when a Chevrolet Silverado driven by Fleet struck him.
Carns was taken to St. Joseph Hospital in Joliet, where he died of his injuries an hour later. Fleet was not injured and remained on scene.
