GOODFIELD, Ill. (WMBD) — A person has been cited by the Illinois State Police for allegedly colliding with a Woodford County sheriff’s deputy’s 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 Kia Sorento 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 in an email that the driver, 42-year-old Emmanual Lehani of Indianapolis, Ind., 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 immediately clear Tuesday evening if Lehani was formally charged in Woodford County Circuit Court or if the driver was given citations at the scene and then released.
This story will be updated when more information is available.
