Driver Who “Intentionally” Hit DOT Worker Charged with Felonies

A driver has been charged and a roadside worker is injured after an allegedly intentional collision in Illinois.

According to police reports, the accident occurred in the city of Marengo in Northern Illinois, where 30-year-old Starlet Stoffel hit a roadside construction worker. Local reports identified the victim as an Illinois Department of Transportation worker.

Stoffel has been charged with the following: Aggravated Battery – Public Place (Class 3 Felony), Aggravated Battery - Use Deadly Weapon (Class 3 Felony), Reckless Driving (Class A Misdemeanor), No Valid Driver’s License (Class B Misdemeanor), Entering Work Zone at High Rate of Speed- Injuring Worker and Operating Uninsured Vehicle.

The Marengo Police Department stated it appeared the driver had “intentionally struck a construction worker that was controlling traffic for road work in that area.”

The worker, who has not been identified, was transferred to a trauma center with moderate, non-life-threatening injuries. Stoffel was taken to a hospital for psychological evaluation.

According to the Illinois Tollway website, hitting a worker in a work zone could result in a fine of up to $25,000 and up to 14 years in jail. Illinois has recorded 167 deaths in work zone crashes between 2018 and 2023, however, only 7 of those deaths involved construction workers.

Just two weeks ago, a 49-year-old man was charged with seven felonies following a crash in a southern Wisconsin construction zone that killed a car driver and a worker.