State Trooper Fatality: Wilmington Man Learns His 2 Formal Charges

JOLIET ? Wednesday marked the first time that 69-year-old Wilmington resident John Fleet went to the Will County Courthouse in connection with the Dec. 23 fatality that ended the life of on-duty Illinois State Police trooper Clay Carns. Until Wednesday, the formal charges had not been on file at the courthouse.

Fleet is now charged with operation of vehicles and streetcars on approach of authorized emergency vehicles and a second offense of failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.

The Will County State's Attorney's Office is not trying to have the Wilmington man incarcerated in connection with the I-55 death near Channahon. No petition to deny pretrial release was filed by the Will County prosecutors.

In courtroom 202, Fleet entered not guilty pleas to his two charges. He has retained a prominent downtown Joliet lawyer to serve as his criminal defense counsel, Daniel Walsh, of the Law Offices of Daniel Walsh.

The presiding judge ordered Fleet to remain released from custody, and his next hearing is set for March 3 in Courtroom 405.

The criminal complaint for Fleet indicates that on the night of Dec. 23, while driving Chevrolet Silverado, upon approaching a stationary authorized emergency vehicle, the marked Illinois State Police patrol vehicle on southbound Interstate 55, "when said authorized emergency vehicle was giving a signal by displaying alternatively flashing red, red and white, blue, or red and blue light or amber or yellow warning lights, as the driver of the approaching vehicle, knowingly failed to proceed with due caution by not yielding the right of way by making a lane change not adjacent to that of the authorized emergency vehicle when it was possible with due regard to safety and traffic conditions ... knowingly failed to proceed with due caution, reduce the speed off the vehicle ... and said defendant drove his vehicle into Illinois State Trooper Clay Carns as he was outside his stationary authorized emergency vehicle and said conduct resulted in injury or death to ... Illinois State Trooper Clay Carns."

Fleet's second charge accuses the Wilmington man of driving his Chevrolet Silverado on southbound Interstate 55 "at a speed which was greater than was reasonable and proper with regard to the traffic conditions and the use of the highway or endangered the safety of any person or property."