A Whatcom County man is facing four charges in Illinois after he reportedly hit a Peoria County Sheriff's Office SUV Tuesday, causing it to flip several times and the deputy who was driving it to be hospitalized with serious, but non-life-threatening, injuries.
"Miraculously our deputy was not injured worse than he was and we are praying for healing and a full recovery," the Peoria County Sheriff's Office posted on Facebook Tuesday, May 10, which did not name the deputy.
Ferndale's Douglas S. Dodge, 41, has been charged with following too closely, driving too fast for conditions, improper lane usage and unlawful possession of medical marijuana, according to the Illinois State Police report on the crash.
According to the report, the crash occurred in a construction zone along westbound Interstate 74 in Tazwell County, approximately 125 miles southwest of Chicago.
Dodge, who was driving a 2018 GMC Sierra, and the deputy, who was driving a 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe patrol unit, both entered the construction zone that had the left lane closed, according to the report.
Dodge's Sierra attempted to change lanes to the right and struck the back of the deputy's patrol unit, the report states, and both drivers lost control and both cars crossed into a ditch at the right side of the freeway. The deputy's patrol unit ended up rolling several times before coming to rest on its roof.
According to the Facebook post, the deputy was returning from training in Normal, Illinois, at the time of the crash, and he was taken to an area hospital after the crash. The Journal Star reported the deputy's injuries included internal injuries and broken bones.
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