Kane County Reporter

Prayers are being requested by state Sen. Dan McConchie (R-Lake Zurich) after a state police trooper's patrol car was struck by another car. 

Shortly before midnight on Dec. 17, an Illinois State Police trooper pulled over on the Dan Ryan Expressway to conduct a DUI investigation. Though the vehicle's emergency lights were activated,  25-year-old Alontae Holliday drove a Nissan into the ISP vehicle, leaving it damaged. Holliday is from Matteson and is now facing charges including DUI, speeding, and violating Scott’s Law, which requires motorists to slow down and move over when approaching emergency vehicles with their lights on. The ISP officer was not seriously injured, according to CBS Chicago. 

“This ISP Trooper, who is a part of Chicago’s Anti Violence Detail, was hit last night by an intoxicated driver,” McConchoe said in a Facebook post. “Fortunately, the officer is okay, but it could have been much more tragic.

"Our law enforcement officers put themselves on the line for us every…single…day.  Let’s keep them in our prayers and keep standing up for them!” 

So far in 2021, 22 Illinois State Police vehicles have been crashed into, and 13 ISP troopers have been injured as a result, according to WIFR. 

First-time DUI offenders in Illinois do not necessarily face jail time. Instead, they might have to perform community service and pay a fine of up to $2,500. Seventy-five percent of people who are charged with DUIs are men, and 57% are 35 or younger.  The majority of these arrests take place between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m., according to KTEN.

“Since the 1980s, new DUI laws about the minimum legal drinking age reduced alcohol consumption and impaired driving among young adults,” KTEN reports. “However, intoxicated driving still causes too many traffic fatalities every year. The National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) reports 28 people per day still die from drunken driving car accidents.”