Another IL trooper killed by semi .

Today, March 28th, marks the anniversary of the death of the trooper whose untimely death was reason for this thread, it was mentioned on the morning news, along with the fact that the truck driver involved has been charged for violating hours of service rules. I think of Patrolman Sauter every time I drive that stretch of the Tri-state


Ironically, the item most in the news this week in Chicago-land was of a Blue Line commuter train not stopping at the station at O'Hare, and driving the first car of the 7 or 8 total, almost entirely up the escalator, no one killed but 30 or so of the approximately 50 passengers and bystanders injured.

The person operating the train was said to have admitted to dozing off

 

I heard on the radio news last night while headed home from Chicago that the lawsuit filed by the widow of James Sauter was finished, and she was awarded $10.2 million from the driver and the companies he was working for on the day of the accident.

Digging further, she filed suit at the end of 2013.

Other legal action is still ongoing.

 

The driver was just a part of this, notice, I said she sued the employer and the company above that as well. He went home to Wisconsin and hasn't worked or driven since then.

He worked all day, and not in the truck, i.e. not driving, so even if he had had an e-log in the truck, it wouldn't necessarily have shut him down by telling him he was in violation. He was inexperienced with driving in that he hadn't been in it long enough to recognize what his body was trying to tell him. He isn't alone in that, either, I drive overnight and see lots of weaving, veering, loss of control, i.e.,situational unawareness because of somnolence. I see it during the day too, but usually for different reasons.

I read more, and at the hearing, many of the Illinois State Police saw what I saw in the pictures, a kid, very remorseful and respectful, but just a kid, some of them reportedly said that.


Now, all of the lawsuit was just part of what went on , and is ongoing. The driver and his company were fined and he is looking at time in prison when the court finally gets around to dealing with this, he is living with his family while on bail in the meantime.


I feel the horror of this from all sides, but I can't get past the fact that everyone is still just human; wanting and hopeful and prone to make mistakes.

Good intentions and trying to save someone when it is too late don't make up for the mistake in the first place, but he did try to get the officer out of the car, until it exploded and threw him back. If he had not caused the accident, he would have gotten recognition for trying to help.



I still drive that stretch once in awhile, and watch trucks in the 2nd left lane where signage forbids them, but never at night, there are ways other than the Tri-state Raceway to get where I need to go when traffic is light.