Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog
An Illinois State Police Trooper was injured yesterday on the Stevenson Expressway in Chicago, according to chicagobreakingnews.com. The officer’s patrol car was struck during a traffic stop in the southbound lanes of Interstate 55 near Ashland. The car crash involved 3 other vehicles and it blocked all but the left lane of traffic during the morning’s rush.
The officer and one other were taken by ambulance to Rush University Medical Center and Stroger Hospital of Cook County. What caused the accident has not been reported and the injuries are supposed to be none-life-threatening.
This type of accident reminds us that being a police officer can be a very dangerous job for many reasons. Routine traffic stops can become hazardous. It is bad enough that the officer has to worry about the driver he has pulled over, he also has to worry about other negligent drivers on the road.
The U.S. Department of Labor reports that between 1992 and 2001, police officers suffered 1,448 workplace fatalities (compared to 437 firefighter deaths). The Department also reports that of all government employees killed in the U.S. during said time period, more than half of the fatalities were transportation related.
If you have been injured in a car accident by a negligent driver, contact Abels & Annes for a free consultation.