LAWRENCEVILLE., Ill. - Two Lawrenceville police vehicles were damaged, and two officers sent to the hospital, after an allegedly DUI/texting driver from St. Francisville smacked one, causing a collision with the other last night in Lawrenceville.
Illinois State Police from District 12 had to be called in on this one, which occurred Sunday, January 27, at 8:27 p.m., on Business 50 (U.S. Highway 50) approximately three-quarters of a mile east of Lawrenceville.
ISP said that two city officers - Byron Middlecoat, 36 of Sumner, and Kody Waggoner, 32 of Vincennes, Ind. - were on a traffic stop at that location and were returning to their police vehicles when the crash happened.
Erika Boger, 39 of St. Francisville, was reported to have been texting while driving, and ran off the road, striking the rear of the 2010 Ford Crown Victoria police car Waggoner had parked on the right shoulder with its emergency lights activated.
Waggoner's cruiser was forced into the rear of the 2018 Ford Taurus police car that Middlecoat was in, which was also parked on the right shoulder with emergency lights activated.
Waggoner was outside of his squad car and was struck during the crash; Middlecoat was sitting in his patrol car when the crash occurred. Both officers were treated and released from hospitals - Waggoner was sent to Good Samaritan in Vincennes, with Middlecoat being taken to Lawrence County Hospital in Lawrenceville.
Boger was apparently unharmed; she, however, was cited for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Scott's Law, Failure to Reduce Speed to Avoid an Accident, Illegal Transportation of Alcohol by Driver and Texting While Driving.