Illinois State Police trooper hurt in multi-vehicle crash near Chicago

(25News Now) – An Illinois State Police trooper was hurt in a five-vehicle crash Saturday morning in the Chicago suburb of South Barrington, but there are conflicting reports about the severity of the trooper’s injuries.

State Police said the trooper was heading to an accident scene to help with traffic control at Illinois Route 59 and Higgins Road. Police said the trooper activated his emergency lights and sirens, but was struck by another vehicle at the intersection about 9:45 a.m.

The trooper suffered critical injuries, according to a release from the East Dundee and Countryside Fire Protection District, but State Police said the trooper’s injuries were not life-threatening.

The fire department said it took almost a half-hour to extricate the trooper from his heavily damaged vehicle.

Authorities said two people from other vehicles were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

State Police are investigating.

Saturday’s accident happened less than a month after State Police Trooper Clay Carns was killed in a crash on I-55 in Will County.

The 35-year-old officer left his squad car to pick up debris from the roadway when he was struck by a passing pickup truck two days before Christmas. The truck’s 69-year-old driver was cited for not moving over to avoid hitting Trooper Carns.

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