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Haley Anne Shoot

Age : 19

Gender : Female

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 Milton Hodson

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Bystander killed by off-duty police investigator in DUI crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 04/08/2021, Haley Anne Shoot, 19, was killed when 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 Shoot was driving. The crash occurred at approximately 11 p.m.
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Shoot's passenger, Zaydin Jon Dudra, 20, was also killed. A second passenger, Jade Thomas, 19, survived with life-changing injuries. Thomas was initially hospitalized with life-threatening injuries and later required a wheelchair and had to relearn how to walk.
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Illinois State Police initially reported that Hodson was driving a 2018 Jeep Wrangler and attempted to pass another vehicle before crossing into Shoot's lane and striking her Ford Focus head-on. Hodson was seriously injured but survived.
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Evidence presented during Hodson's subsequent criminal case painted an extraordinary picture of the collision. Illinois State Police crash investigator Jacob Miller testified that reconstruction using physical evidence and data recovered from the vehicles indicated Hodson was traveling approximately 88 mph at impact. Shoot had applied the brakes, and her vehicle was estimated at approximately 30–35 mph at impact.
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Hodson declined a breath test at the crash scene. Evidence presented at sentencing showed that testing following the crash measured his blood-alcohol concentration at .353, with another measurement of .299 at approximately 1 a.m.
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Illinois State Police arrested Hodson after he was released from the hospital the following day. He was initially charged with aggravated driving under the influence involving death and was jailed on $200,000 bond. He was placed off work without pay following the crash.
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In June 2023, Hodson pleaded guilty to aggravated DUI resulting in death under a negotiated agreement that permitted a sentence ranging from probation to 20 years in prison.
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On 08/21/2023, Christian County Circuit Judge Brad Paisley sentenced Hodson 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. The judge specifically identified Hodson's extremely high blood-alcohol concentration and speed as major factors in imposing the sentence.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
Robert M. Hodson, 46 at the time of the collision, was an investigator with the Illinois Secretary of State Police Capitol Police Division. Contemporary reporting sometimes referred to him simply as a “Capitol Police investigator” or as working for “State Capitol Police.” He was not an officer of the United States Capitol Police in Washington, D.C.
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Hodson was off duty when he killed Shoot and Dudra. Following the collision, the Illinois Secretary of State's office placed him off work without pay.
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At sentencing, Illinois State Police reconstruction evidence placed Hodson's speed at approximately 88 mph at impact, while toxicology evidence showed a blood-alcohol concentration of .353 following the collision. Judge Paisley rejected defense attempts to shift responsibility toward the occupants of Shoot's vehicle and emphasized Hodson's intoxication and speed in imposing the prison term.
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Hodson pleaded guilty to aggravated DUI causing death and was sentenced to 18 years in prison at 85%, plus 18 months mandatory supervised release. He began serving the sentence immediately and was reported as potentially eligible for release around 2038.

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/