MT. VERNON, IL — Illinois State Police would like to remind you about Scott’s Law, otherwise known as the “Move Over” Law after officials investigated a two-vehicle accident involving an ISP District 13 trooper in a construction zone on eastbound I-64 at milepost 72 near Mt. Vernon Thursday morning.

Officials say a trooper assigned to a Statewide Work Zone Safety Project was stationary on the right shoulder inside a fully marked squad car with the emergency lights activated, providing protection to an IDOT work crew, when a black 2015 Toyota Rav 4 traveling eastbound on Interstate 64 failed to yield to the stationary emergency vehicle, veered off the roadway onto the right shoulder, and side-swiped the driver’s side of the squad car.

The trooper sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment and released. The driver of the Toyota, 52-year-old Tracey L. Adams of Tulsa, OK, was not hurt. She was charged with a violation of Scott’s Law – Improper Passing of an Emergency Vehicle Causing Injury to Another. 

ISP says a person who violates Scott’s Law, commits a business offense and faces a fine of no less than $250 or more than $10,000 for a first offense. If the violation results in injury to another person, the violator’s driver’s license will be suspended for a mandatory period of anywhere between six months and two years.

So far this year, there have been 12 ISP squad cars struck in relation to Scott’s Law and 6 Troopers have sustained injuries from Scott’s Law-related crashes. 

ISP says when approaching an emergency vehicle, or any vehicle with their emergency or hazard lights activated, drivers are required to slow down and move over.