Prison Sentence for Driver that Caused Death of State Trooper James Sauter

Wisconsin truck driver Andrew Bokelman, 25, has received a two-year prison sentence after agreeing to plead guilty Friday to three felony charges related to the death of State Trooper James Sauter in 2013, reported the Chicago Tribune.

Bokelman avoided going to trial, and possibly receiving a lenghtier sentence, by pleading guilty to operating a commercial vehicle while impaired or fatigued, filing a false work log to conceal hours worked and driving beyond 14-hour period allowed in Illinois laws, according to the report.

Trooper James Sauter, 28, of Vernon Hills, was killed March 28, 2013, when his cruiser was struck by a semi-trailer driven by Bokelman at I-294 and Willow Road, near Northbrook. Sauter, who was on duty at the time, was pronounced dead at the scene following a fiery crash, reported Patch.

James Sauter was on duty in his squad car when his vehicle was struck by a truck tractor semi-trailer at I-294 southbound at Willow Road. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:12 a.m.

Sauter had been a member of the Illinois State Police since 2008. He had just completed a temporary assignment in Air Operations and was recently re-assigned to District 15 as a patrolman.

Sauter’s widow, Elizabeth, was awarded a $10.9 million settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit filed against the parent company that Bokelman worked for, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Read more in the Chicago Tribune.