Pedestrian Killed On I-55 In Plainfield Township: Coroner

PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP, IL — A pedestrian was killed on I-55 in Plainfield Township, the Will County Coroner's Office said. Officials said the man, identified as 33-year-old Nicholas J. Metzger of Joliet, was struck by a vehicle and just before midnight Saturday near mile marker 260.5 on southbound I-55.

Police said a 2006 Buick Lucerne driven by a man from Morrison, Illinois was in the center lane driving south when it struck Metzger. All southbound lanes were shut down until 5 a.m.

Metzger was pronounced dead at 3:35 a.m. Sunday. An autopsy was scheduled for Sunday. Illinois State Police are investigating.

At around 1:25 a.m., hours after the pedestrian was hit, state police reported another incident near the same stretch of southbound I-55. Police said a driver crashed into a state trooper's vehicle despite the southbound lanes being closed at the time.

Police said the trooper was directing southbound traffic onto Route 126 in Plainfield.

Officials said the trooper had his lights flashing, but a Joliet man crashed head on into his squad car.

The injured trooper was taken to an area hospital with minor injuries. The 36-year-old Joliet man is charged with DUI and violating Scott's Law, which requires drivers to slow down and move over when approaching an emergency vehicle with its lights activated.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified the pedestrian. Patch apologizes for the error.