Illinois State Trooper Brooke Jones-Story fatally struck in crash in Freeport; driver cited
An Illinois state trooper was killed in the line of duty Thursday near the town of Freeport, Illinois, police said.
Trooper Brooke Jones-Story, 34, was killed Thursday while inspecting a semi-truck on US Route 20 westbound, just west of Illinois Route 75 in Stephenson County, police said.
Jones-Story was outside of her squad car when she was struck and fatally wounded when another semi-truck struck her squad car and the semi she was inspecting, police said. Both trucks caught fire.
Jones-Story's death comes days after Governor JB Pritzker announced renewed efforts to enforce Scott's Law in response to the number of accidents injuring state troopers. The law requires drivers to slow down and move over for emergency vehicles. The law, enacted in 2002, was named after Lieutenant Scott Gillen, a Chicago firefighter, who was struck and killed by an intoxicated driver while assisting at a crash on the Dan Ryan Expressway.
"No driver needs to get to their destination so quickly that needs to put a trooper's life at risk," Pritzker said during a press conference about the law on Monday.
Jones-Story's death also falls on the sixth anniversary of the death of another officer, Trooper James Sauter, who was killed on the tri-state near Northbrook in 2013 when a truck driver fell asleep at the wheel. That driver was sentenced to two years in prison.
Thursday's crash adds to an alarming trend with at least 15 state troopers being hit along Illinois roads so far in 2019 - a number that's nearly double the total of eight troopers struck in all of 2018.
"Today is a dark day for the Illinois State Police family," said Brendan Kelly, acting director of the Illinois State Police. "How many times does this have to happen? How many more have to be hurt or killed? When's enough, enough?"
The driver of the vehicle that struck Jones-Story has been cited with violation of Scott's Law and improper lane usage, police said.
"The men and women of this department, especially the troopers and colleagues of trooper Jones-Story, are sad, hurting and they're angry," Kelly said.
At the crash scene, which is about two hours west of Chicago, state troopers gave Jones-Story, a 12-year veteran of the ISP, one final salute.
ISP also shared information about how to make donations to Jones-Story's family.
Donations may be made on the Illinois State Police Heritage Foundation's website. If donating online, please note "Trooper Brook Jones-Story Memorial Fund" in the comments section.
Donations may also be sent via the U.S. Postal Service to:
Illinois State Police Heritage Foundation
P.O. Box 8168
Springfield, Illinois, 62791
The crash remains under investigation.
