Alleged DUI driver collides with Woodford County Sheriff’s deputy squad car on I-74

Posted on October 4, 2023

*Police say no injuries were reported. (WJBC file photo)*

GOODFIELD – A person has been cited by the Illinois State Police for allegedly colliding with a Woodford County Sheriff’s deputy vehicle early Tuesday morning.

According to the ISP, deputies and troopers were responding to a vehicle fire shortly after midnight on eastbound Interstate 74 near the Goodfield exit.

Deputies were shutting down I-74 and rerouting people off the interstate when an alleged impaired driver collided with a squad car that was parked at the base of the exit ramp.

The collision, which occurred just before 1:30 a.m., happened as the deputy was in the process of getting into the vehicle. He noticed the oncoming vehicle and ran into the center median to avoid the crash which caused extensive damage to the squad car.

No one was injured. State police said the driver, who wasn’t named or identified, was charged with aggravated driving under the influence, having an uninsured vehicle, failing to yield to an emergency vehicle and failure to reduce speed to avoid a crash.

However, it wasn’t clear if the driver was formally charged in Woodford County Circuit Court or if the driver was given citations at the scene and then released.

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