Woman Claims Intoxicated Off-Duty Cop Was Only Given A Traffic Ticket After He Reportedly Hit Her Sister While She Was On A Motorcycle — ‘My Sister Is Fighting For Her Life’
Rather than facing necessary consequences, the cop was given “special treatment.”
oneinchpunch | Shutterstock A Springfield, Illinois, police officer was reportedly involved in a car accident that injured two individuals on a motorcycle, Trevor Hopkins and Chelsea Farley, on Sept. 5.
Farley’s sister, Cacee Rae, provided context to the incident in a thread on X, claiming the off-duty cop was only given a traffic ticket despite being intoxicated. She took to the platform to expose the cops at the scene for their biased and unjust response to the accident that left Farley and her boyfriend Hopkins in critical condition at the hospital.
Rae claimed the cop was in the wrong, yet officers failed to act accordingly and issue consequences.
The cop, Michael Egan, who reportedly retired one day after the accident, turned left into the Anchor Boat Club on Lake Springfield when he cut off and collided with Hopkins and Farley on their motorcycle. He was ticketed for failing to yield to the right of way, according to the State Journal-Register.
Despite being allegedly under the influence, as documented by eyewitnesses at the scene, Egan refused to take a field sobriety test (FST).
Officers can arrest anyone who refuses to take an FST but appears to be visibly intoxicated; Rae claimed the Illinois State Police (ISP) gave Egan “special treatment,” turning off their bodycams and spending four hours giving him water and gum until they took him to the hospital for a blood alcohol content (BAC) test.
Rae additionally claimed that Egan received a previous DUI and had a breathalyzer built into his car, but ISP doubled down, stating Egan used his right to refuse an FST. However, if Egan was not a cop, Rae claimed he would have been arrested like anyone else.
“State troopers still refuse to answer any of my family at this time [as to] why [Egan] received special treatment while my sister is fighting for her life,” Rae wrote.
The families of Hopkins and Farley are understandably upset by the ISP’s unfair response to this tragic incident.
Rae additionally claimed the chief of police didn’t meet with her family as promised, “his reasoning being ‘the stress of this situation has made him sick’ as if my sister isn’t breathing via a machine right now.”
Another individual involved with Farley’s family, Caitlyn Weiss, organized a GoFundMe to help raise money for Farley’s extensive medical care for her injuries, which include “multiple serious broken bones, fractures, injured organs, and traumatic brain injuries.”
Weiss described Farley as a “vibrant, strong, and loving” woman and mom of two kids.
The Illinois Eagle reported that Farley is awaiting surgery, and her family is waiting to hear if she will be OK.
Based on the videos eyewitnesses recorded the night of the accident, Egan was reportedly stumbling in front of the officers at the scene. Another eyewitness who had been driving behind Hopkins and Farley alleged Egan “smelled like bourbon.”
According to the Law Office of Philipe R. Nathe, officers can still arrest an individual and charge them with a DUI if they believe they have enough evidence of intoxication. According to the Davis Law Group, individuals can face up to one year of potential jail time for their first few DUI convictions.
Rae alleged officers at the scene disregarded these protocols the night of the incident, giving Egan a chance to avoid facing serious consequences because of his status.
No one should be exempt from consequences for driving under the influence, especially when it puts others at risk.
Charges against Egan will likely depend on toxicology reports. However, because the ISP allegedly interfered at the scene, waiting hours for him to sober up before he was taken to the hospital for a BAC test, the toxicology reports may not be reliable, although that's all conjecture at this point.
After a previous incident involving a former Sangamon County deputy wrongfully shooting an innocent woman, Sonya Massey, in her apartment in Illinois after she contacted police due to concerns about a disturbance, individuals around the country are speaking out against the ISP's values.
“This culture of [cops] protecting each other relates to why bad cops stay around. My co-worker was injured in a car accident during a police pursuit of someone else. The cops weren’t penalized. But she has to live with the long-term consequences. It’s not right,” someone commented on the X thread.
With an already heightened sense of distrust within the community, residents were understandably upset following the incident, which resulted in a protest on Sept. 9 at noon in front of the Springfield Police Department.
Francesca Duarte is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team based in Orlando, FL. She covers lifestyle, human-interest, adventure, and spirituality topics.