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Zaydin J. Dudra

Age : 20

Gender : Male

Race : White

Date : 04/08/2021

Location : Illinois 48 near East 1550 North Road

City : Taylorville

County : Christian

State : Illinois

Agency : Illinois Secretary of State Police — Capitol Police Division

Officer(s) :Robert Hodson

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Passenger killed by off-duty police vehicle crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 04/08/2021, Zaydin Jon Dudra, 20, was killed when off-duty Illinois Secretary of State Police Capitol Police Investigator Robert M. Hodson crossed the center line on Illinois Route 48 near East 1550 North Road between Taylorville and Stonington and crashed head-on into the Ford Focus in which Dudra was a passenger.
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Haley Anne Shoot, 19, was driving the Ford Focus. Dudra was a passenger along with Jade Thomas, 19. Shoot and Dudra were killed, while Thomas survived with catastrophic injuries that required extensive hospitalization and rehabilitation.
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Illinois State Police said Hodson was driving a 2018 Jeep Wrangler when he attempted to pass another vehicle, crossed into the opposing lane and collided head-on with Shoot's Ford Focus. Hodson was seriously injured but survived.
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The subsequent criminal investigation established considerably more about Hodson's driving. An Illinois State Police crash reconstructionist testified that physical evidence and vehicle data indicated Hodson was traveling approximately 88 mph at impact. Shoot had applied her brakes before the collision, and her vehicle was traveling approximately 30–35 mph when it was struck.
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Investigators also found evidence of extreme alcohol intoxication. Hodson declined a breath test at the scene, but subsequent testing produced a reported blood-alcohol concentration of .353, more than four times Illinois's .08 legal limit. Another measurement approximately two hours after the collision was reported at .299.
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Illinois State Police arrested Hodson after his release from the hospital. He was charged with aggravated DUI resulting in death and initially jailed on $200,000 bond. The Illinois Secretary of State's office placed him off work without pay.
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Hodson subsequently pleaded guilty to aggravated DUI resulting in death. On 08/21/2023, Christian County Circuit Judge Brad Paisley sentenced him to 18 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, with 85% of the sentence required to be served, followed by 18 months of mandatory supervised release.
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At sentencing, the court heard victim-impact testimony concerning both Dudra and Shoot and the devastating injuries suffered by Thomas. The judge cited Hodson's intoxication and extreme speed in imposing the prison sentence.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
Robert M. Hodson, 46 at the time of the crash, was an investigator with the Illinois Secretary of State Police — Capitol Police Division. Contemporary reports sometimes shortened the agency to “State Capitol Police” or described Hodson as a “Capitol Police investigator.” He was not a United States Capitol Police officer.
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Hodson was off duty when he killed Dudra and Shoot but remained a sworn Illinois law-enforcement officer. His employing agency placed him off work without pay following the crash.
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Crash reconstruction evidence subsequently placed Hodson's speed at approximately 88 mph at impact, while toxicology evidence showed a blood-alcohol concentration as high as .353 following the collision.
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Hodson pleaded guilty to aggravated DUI resulting in death and was sentenced in August 2023 to 18 years in state prison at 85%, followed by 18 months of mandatory supervised release.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://news.yahoo.com/former-capitol-police-investigator-pleads-134441663.html
https://taylorvilledailynews.com/local-news/692129
https://taylorvilledailynews.com/local-news/703227/robert-hodson-sentenced-in-two-hour-court-hearing-monday-afternoon
https://www.wandtv.com/news/former-investigator-sentenced-to-18-years-for-dui-crash-that-left-two-dead-one-injured/article_ae5a7ac8-41eb-11ee-bbd3-0bc034d60ed0.html
https://www.heartlandnewsfeed.com/2023/08/26/former-illinois-capitol-police-officer-going-to-jail/