I-55 crash near Route 30: Illinois State Police soldier injured in crash near Joliet

JOLIET, Illinois (WLS) – An Illinois state police vehicle was hit in an accident on I-55 near Joliet and closed lanes heading north for several hours Monday afternoon.

Illinois State Police said one of its officers had stopped behind a traffic accident in the left lane and had turned on the emergency lights to help steer traffic to the right. A black Cadillac crashed into the soldier’s squad car while he was there around 11:46 p.m.

FIRST VIDEO: Chopper7 for an I-55 accident involving a state soldier

The soldier was taken from the scene to a hospital in the area with serious injuries, state police said. The driver of the Cadillac, a 20-year-old Joliet resident, was also taken to a local hospital with minor injuries.

According to a statement from Illinois State Police, traffic was diverted by the expressway on U.S. Route 30. The northbound lanes reopened at 3:45 p.m.

SEE ALSO | Chicago Weather: Another winter storm could fall on a foot of snow

A snowstorm moved into the Chicago area early Monday and a foot or more of snow was expected to fall on Tuesday.

Illinois State Police said this is the sixth shock of Scott’s law related to state police this year, and the second in two days.

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.