Funeral plans announced for Illinois state trooper hit, killed on I-55 in SW suburbs

WILL COUNTY, Ill. (WLS) -- Funeral plans have been announced after an Illinois State Police trooper was struck and killed in the southwest suburbs on Monday night.

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The crash happened around 9:42 p.m. on the southbound lanes of I-55 near Blodgett Road in the Channahon area.

Illinois State Trooper Clay Carns, 35, was removing debris from the highway when he was struck by a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck, ISP said.

Trooper Carns was rushed to a hospital in Joliet where he died from his injuries.

Carns served 11 years with Illinois State Police. He is survived by his wife, two children, siblings and his parents.

Carns' family released a statement Saturday:

"The Family of Trooper Clay Carns mourn the loss of their treasured husband, father, son, brother, uncle, and friend. We could never begin to thank law enforcement nor the thousands from our community who have reached out to us to express their love and support. To the public, Clay became a hero on December 23, 2024, when he was killed in the line of duty. To his family, he has always been a hero. Our world has been shattered, and we will never be the same. But we take comfort in knowing that he lived his life with such purpose, he loved his family and friends fiercely, and he took great pride in his work. 'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.' -Matthew 5:9."

Funeral services will all be held at Parkview Christian Church, located at 11100 Orland Parkway in Orland Park, according to a news release from Illinois State Police. Visitation to take place Thursday, Jan. 2 from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.. A first responder walk through will take place at 6 p.m. A funeral service will be Friday, Jan. 3 at 10 a.m.

The driver of the Chevrolet involved in the crash was identified as John Fleet of Wilmington. He remained at the scene, state police said, and now faces a Scott's Law charge and multiple Illinois Vehicle Code citations by the Will County State's Attorney's Office.

The charges against Fleet are not detainable offenses, and so he has since been released, ISP said.

The deadly crash happened as the state observed Scott's Law Day. It's also known as the "Move Over" Law, and it requires drivers to slow down or move over for construction or emergency vehicles.

Scott's Law was created when Chicago Fire Lt. Scott Gillen was killed on the Dan Ryan 24 years ago. He was hit and killed by a drunk driver as he helped people who had been in a crash.

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On January 1, Scott's Law will be slightly changed. It will require people to both slow down and move over, if traffic allows, for emergency or construction vehicles that are stopped on the side of a road. The law currently gives drivers an option of either slowing down or moving over.