State trooper struck by drunk driver while assisting crash on I-55 near suburban Romeoville

An Illinois State trooper’s vehicle was struck by a drunk driver Sunday morning, while he was assisting with a traffic stop on Interstate 55 near west suburban Romeoville.

About 1:25 a.m., a trooper responded to a crash in the southbound lanes of I-55, near milepost 260, Illinois State police said. The trooper was inside his parked squad car with his lights activated, in order to help with directing traffic onto Illinois Route 126, when a 2017 black Acura crashed head on into the squad car.

The trooper was taken to the hospital and treated for minor injuries, state police said.

The driver of the Acura, 36-year-old Liem Nquyen of Joliet, was taken into the custody and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, and violating Scott’s Law, a law requiring drivers when approaching an emergency vehicle, or any vehicle with their emergency or hazard lights activated, to slow down and move over, state police said.