Man Arrested After Collision with Stopped Cars

A Paducah man is facing multiple charges after a collision on I-24 early Thursday morning.

Illinois State Police say a Trooper was on the shoulder of the eastbound lanes of I-24 near the Metropolis exit just after midnight, behind a vehicle that was stopped. Police say a call was made on their radios about a vehicle being driven recklessly, swerving between lanes. As the driver attempted to pass by the scene, his vehicle hit the squad car and the vehicle in front of it before coming to a stop on the shoulder.

State Police say the Trooper and the three people in the stopped vehicle were taken to a local hospital, where they were treated for what appeared to be minor injuries. The driver of the other car, 68-year-old James Steve Bauer of Paducah, was treated at a local hospital and released. He was arrested for aggravated DUI and violation of Scott's Law, which requires drivers to change lanes and reduce speed when approaching emergency vehicles on the Interstate. He was also charged with improper lane usage, illegal transportation of alcohol and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident. 

Bauer was taken to Massac County Jail, pending a bond hearing.