DUQUOIN - On Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, at approximately 9:09 a.m., Illinois State Police (ISP) officials investigated a two-vehicle traffic crash on Interstate 57 southbound at mile post 87 in the median in Jefferson County, involving an ISP Trooper.
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At approximately 8:28 a.m., an ISP Trooper responded to a motorist assist where a vehicle had slid off into the median due to weather conditions near the above location. Once on scene, the Trooper pulled behind the stuck vehicle, stopping at the edge of the left lane and had the emergency lights activated in order to assist with directing traffic to the right. At approximately 9:09 a.m., while the Trooper was in his squad car, a silver 2006 Toyota Tundra crashed into the rear of the Trooper’s squad car, causing injury to the Trooper. The Trooper was transported via ambulance to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Neither the driver of the Toyota, Chuong V. Nguyen, a 54-year-old male of Milledgeville, GA or his passenger, Kim N. Tran, a 49-year-old female of Milledgeville, GA were injured. The vehicle from the initial motorist assist was not involved.
All lanes of Interstate 57 southbound were closed for approximately 10 minutes initially and the passing lane remained closed for another 50 minutes for traffic crash investigation and scene clean-up. Nguyen was cited for Failure to Reduce Speed to Avoid a Crash and Failure to Yield to Stationary Emergency Vehicle (the Move Over Law).
