Ill. State Trooper Fatally Struck while Clearing Roadside Debris

Dec. 24, 2024

A driver faces multiple charges after he allegedly struck and killed Illinois State Police Trooper Clay Carns, who was outside his cruiser and removing debris from the lane of a road near Channahon.

By Deanese Williams-Harris and Peter Breen

Source Chicago Tribune

Illinois State Police Trooper Clay Carns.

A Wilmington man was charged Tuesday for fatally striking an Illinois State Police trooper with his vehicle as the trooper cleaned up debris on I-55 in Will County Monday night.

John Fleet, 69, was charged in the death of Trooper Clay Carns, 35, who had served 11 years as an officer with the state police.

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Fleet, who was not injured in the crash and remained at the scene, was charged with the Move Over Law, also known as “Scott’s Law” in Illinois, which requires all drivers to move over when approaching an emergency vehicle or any vehicle with its emergency or hazard lights activated.

He was also issued multiple Illinois Vehicle Code citations, and released, according to a news release from state police.

Carns had been outside his vehicle, which had its emergency lights on, removing debris from a southbound lane north of Blodgett Road near Channahon when he was struck around 9:42 p.m., according to a news release.

Carns was taken to a Joliet hospital, where he was pronounced dead around 10:45 p.m. He is survived by a wife and two children.

“Anytime we lose a trooper, it hurts,” said state police Director Brendan Kelly said early Tuesday. “But today is Christmas Eve … so this kind of hurts in a very particular way.”

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