Off-duty Berwyn police officer killed in multi-vehicle crash on I-55; driver charged with DUI

PLAINFIELD, Ill. (WLS) -- An off-duty Berwyn police officer was killed in a multi-vehicle crash on I-55 in Will County Sunday, according to a Facebook post by the Berwyn Police Department.

The fatal crash occurred a short time after two other vehicles were involved in a separate collision.

According to Illinois State Police, two trucks were involved in an accident and had come to a rest in the right two southbound lanes of I-55, just north of US Route 30 in Plainfield. Just after 6:00 a.m., a Dodge SUV approached the initial crash, striking one of the original vehicles.

Charles Schauer, 33, of Glen Ellyn was a passenger in the Dodge SUV and was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver Erin Zilka, 35, of Plainfield, was transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening injures.

Schauer was a 10 year veteran on the police force, according to the BPD post.

Zilka has been charged with driving under the influence, according to ISP.

It's not known if the two other drivers were injured in either incident.

Illinois State Police are investigating the accident. No further information has been released at this time.