The Illinois State Police held a special enforcement memorial March 28-29 in honor of a fallen fellow trooper, James Sauter.
Sauter, 28, died on duty March 28, 2013 in Cook County, Illinois when his vehicle was struck by a semi whose driver fell asleep at the wheel. The driver had exceeded the 14-hour daily legal limit and filed a false work log to hide it.
Since his death, state police have enacted “Operation Sauter,” a one-day special enforcement period checking commercial driver’s logbooks to ensure they are properly documenting the number of hours driven.
This year, troopers conducted 1,657 commercial vehicle inspections and placed 114 “dangerous” commercial vehicles out of service. Another 1,037 written warnings and 190 citations were issued.
The Illinois State Police say in the last three years, two more troopers have been killed in duty and another seriously injured after being struck by commercial motor vehicles.
“The results of ‘Operation Sauter’ are a reflection of our dedication to the memory of Trooper James Sauter, and our oath to keep Illinois citizens safe. I am proud of the men and women of the ISP who work hard risking their lives each and every day to protect the motoring public along Illinois highways,” said ISP Director Leo Schmitz.
