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A Joliet man faces felony charges in connection with a February 2021 crash that left Illinois State Police Trooper Brian Frank grievously injured.
On Friday, prosecutors with Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow’s office filed two felony charges against Angel Casillas, 21, of the 600 block of Jasper Street in connection with the incident.
Judge Dave Carlson signed a warrant for Casillas’ arrest on Friday. The warrant carries a $250,000 bond.
Casillas has been charged with operation of vehicles and streetcars on approach of authorized emergency vehicles and aggravated reckless driving.
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Casillas, while on Interstate 55, failed to proceed with due caution by not yielding the right of way to Frank’s squad vehicle by making a lane change or at least reducing his speed and leaving a safe distance until he passed the vehicle, according to a criminal complaint filed in Will County court.
Prosecutors alleged Casillas drove at a speed greater than the posted 65 mph limit, failed to keep a proper lookout by disregarding three flares on the roadway and struck the rear of Frank’s squad vehicle, causing him “great bodily harm or permanent disability or disfigurement.”
Casillas was initially ticketed in connection with the crash.
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The traffic citations were dropped by prosecutors on March 5, 2021, in light of an ongoing investigation of the crash.
“The Illinois State Police are conducting a traffic crash reconstruction, which will not be complete for several months,” Will County Assistant State’s Attorney Donna Hanson said in a motion. “Appropriate charges will be determined once all the evidence is complete.”
Casillas initially was cited for driving too fast for conditions or failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, following too closely and failure to yield to emergency vehicles, the latter of which is known as Scott’s Law.
Scott’s Law requires motorists approaching stationary authorized emergency vehicles proceed “with due caution” and either change lanes or reduce speed.
The citations said visibility was clear the day of the crash and that the road conditions were “snow or slush.”
Frank suffered serious brain injuries when his squad vehicle was rear-ended, and there was an “immense amount of swelling to the head, which was responded to immediately with surgery upon arrival at hospital,” according to a GoFundMe established for him.
Last year, Brian Frank’s wife, Lauren Frank joined Gov. JB Pritzker for the signing of a package of legislation aimed at strengthening Scott’s Law and improving mental health resources for first responders.
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In a statement, Pritzer called on motorists to provide first responders with the “protection and resources they need to make their work safer.”
“Your distracted driving could be someone else’s worst nightmare – and no text is worth that,” Pritzker said.
Brian Frank was awarded Officer of the Year by the Illinois State Police criminal patrol team last year.
Lauren Frank accepted the award on his behalf. She said at the meeting that her husband is the “most tangible example of humility I’ve ever met in my life, but that extends to all of you, as well.”