Auburn man arrested in connection with fatal accident had been stopped by Divernon police
An Auburn man who pleaded guilty in federal court in early September to assaulting a law enforcement officer during the deadly Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol and was arrested in connection with a fatal accident on Interstate 55 had been stopped by Divernon police before the incident.
Shane Jason Woods, 44, also known as Shane Castleman, was arrested over the weekend after being released from the hospital.
Lauren Wegner, 35, of Clayton, North Carolina, died Tuesday when the vehicle she was driving collided with Woods' wrong-way vehicle in the southbound lanes north of mile marker 88. Two other vehicles were involved and two other people sustained injuries.
Wegner is a native of Skokie, a suburb of Chicago. Her funeral is Sunday.
Here's what we know so far.
How it started
Woods was originally stopped by Divernon police at the Chatham/East Lake Drive exit prior to the accident.
Reached Monday morning, Divernon Police Chief Jason Martin confirmed that Woods was stopped for about 25 minutes. Martin did not say what Woods was stopped for, citing an ongoing investigation by the Illinois State Police.
The accident on I-55 occurred just after 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Martin said there was "not a pursuit" when Woods was originally stopped and that Woods was driving the speed limit and used his turn signal. Martin was not the officer who made the stop.
Martin told the Chicago Sun-Times that Woods took off from the scene of the stop despite the officer's pleas.
Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell confirmed that a deputy was en route to back up the Divernon police officer at the stop, but it was Campbell's understanding that the deputy had not reached the scene before Woods left.
Campbell said it isn't unusual for deputies to back up jurisdictions either on their own or when called to do so.
Campbell said he was told there wasn't pursuit when Divernon police stopped Woods and Divernon did not pursue him when he took off.
Campbell said he did not know what Woods was stopped for.
What he was arrested for
In addition to reckless homicide, Woods was arrested for aggravated driving under the influence, driving under the influence and fleeing/eluding police. He is in the Sangamon County Jail with a $2 million bond.
What's next
It is possible Woods could face a formal indictment this week.
Online records show Woods has a first court appearance on Dec. 14.
Meanwhile, Woods is scheduled to be sentenced on the federal charges on Jan. 13, 2023. He faces up to eight years in prison.
If convicted in Sangamon County, there's a probability Woods would serve his federal sentence consecutively to any state sentence.
Woods' attorney in his federal case, Dwight Crawley of Arlington, Virginia, did not immediately return a message from The State Journal-Register.
Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Auburn man had been stopped by Divernon police prior to fatal accident
