Introduction to the Trial
Moments before driving his GMC Sierra the wrong way onto a downstate highway in 2022, Shane Jason Woods complained he’d been in an argument, he faced a decade in prison, and he just wanted to “end it,” a police officer testified Tuesday. As traffic passed nearby on Interstate 55, Woods allegedly told an officer who confronted him that, “It takes a big f—ing man to say what I’m about to say. I’m gonna kill myself.”
The Crash and Its Aftermath
The officer thought he had things under control. But soon, Woods started his truck. He pulled away and drove west, the officer said. And a Sangamon County jury on Tuesday learned what happened next, through video and dramatic courtroom testimony. Jurors saw Woods’ headlights descend north, in the darkness, into the southbound lanes of I-55 near Springfield. They saw the fiery crash that followed, along with the smoke and debris spread across the expressway. They saw how Woods’ truck landed on its passenger side. They heard how glass wound up in the eye of one victim, while his wife suffered the “worst pain ever.”
The Victim and the Charges
Finally, the jury saw a Mercury Sable, crumpled and crushed by the GMC Sierra, holding the body of Lauren Wegner, 35, of Skokie. The panel heard a Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy label her death “obvious” at the scene. And they learned her body had to be identified later by her fingernail polish. After the crash, jurors were told, Woods complained “it was only supposed to be me.” Woods survived that crash on Nov. 8, 2022, near Springfield’s southern border. Now he’s on trial for first-degree murder over Wegner’s death. At the time of the crash, Woods faced up to nine years behind bars for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot.
The Prosecution’s Case
President Donald Trump issued a sweeping pardon in January to nearly everyone convicted for their role in that riot. “Lauren died because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Special Prosecutor Derek Dion told the jury while delivering his opening statement in Woods’ murder trial Tuesday. “And she couldn’t get out of the way.” Crucial to the trial, the prosecutor explained, will be whether Woods knew he “had a strong probability of causing great bodily harm or death” when he drove his truck into oncoming traffic on Interstate 55 near Lake Springfield. Dion and his co-counsel summoned 17 witnesses Tuesday to make their case.
The Defense Strategy
Defense attorneys Mark Wykoff and Daniel Fultz chose to save their opening statement until after prosecutors finish calling their witnesses. Wykoff and Fultz have so far told the jury that Woods plans to testify, and they’ll hear about the Capitol riot, alcohol and suicide. The defense team also focused Tuesday on a police report that cited reckless homicide — not first-degree murder — as among the original reasons for Woods’ arrest. Wykoff and Fultz will likely begin calling witnesses Wednesday afternoon.
Testimonies and Evidence
Wegner’s parents and their supporters watched the trial from the front row of Sangamon County Judge Ryan Cadagin’s courtroom Tuesday. They stepped out of the courtroom at times to avoid graphic video of the crash scene. Woods, who is in custody of Sangamon County officials but was dressed in a blue-plaid shirt and blue tie, could sometimes be seen holding his head in his hands while jurors viewed the wreckage. Prosecutors also played footage from an Auburn bar known as Benderz. An acquaintance of Woods testified she saw him there on Nov. 8, 2022. She said he seemed drunk but happy. A former bartender there testified Woods drank “vodka cranberry.” A forensic scientist testified that Woods’ blood-alcohol concentration was later measured at 0.141%, well above the legal limit of 0.08%.
The Confrontation and the Crash
Former Divernon police officer Patrick Hurley, who confronted Woods before the crash, explained to jurors how he pulled Woods over after spotting his speeding truck on I-55. Hurley told jurors his wife’s step-sister was in a relationship with Woods at the time. Woods pulled off I-55 at exit 88. That’s when Woods allegedly complained about the argument with his significant other. He allegedly mentioned suicide and his pending prison sentence, as well. In dash-cam video, Hurley could be heard telling another officer that Woods was “involved in that Capitol deal.” Moments later, after Woods allegedly fled the traffic stop and drove the wrong-way onto I-55, Hurley told the jury, “All I seen was a ball of fire.”
Victim Testimonies
The crash injured a couple from Granite City driving home from Chicago by way of Decatur. Kathryn Roustio explained how she’d been on her phone, leaning back in her seat in their Toyota Corolla, at the time of the crash. “I didn’t see what was coming at us,” Kathryn Roustio testified. “It was like an explosion.” Stephen Roustio testified that glass wound up embedded in his body, including in his eye. Both said they’re still being treated for their injuries. As for Wegner, Dion told the jury the crash broke “just about every bone in her body.”
Woods’ Statements After the Crash
Before court adjourned for the day, prosecutors also summoned Woods’ sister, Michelle Hemberger, to testify. She told the jury how she saw her brother at a hospital after the crash, and that he was “very very upset and said that he killed someone.” However, Hemberger quibbled with Dion when the prosecutor pressed her over whether Woods told her that night what he meant to do. “He did say, ‘I wish it would have been me,’ or something to the like,” Hemberger said. Dion pressed her further, on a statement she’d previously made to police. Hemberger admitted she’d told authorities her brother made a comment along the lines of, “I meant to hit a semi.” But she told the jury, “I was unsure of that exact quote.”
Conclusion
The trial of Shane Jason Woods is a complex and tragic case that highlights the devastating consequences of reckless behavior. The prosecution’s case relies heavily on the testimony of witnesses and the evidence collected from the crash scene. The defense strategy will focus on the circumstances leading up to the crash and Woods’ state of mind at the time. As the trial continues, it is essential to consider the impact of Woods’ actions on the victims and their families.
FAQs
- What is Shane Jason Woods on trial for?
Shane Jason Woods is on trial for first-degree murder over the death of Lauren Wegner, who was killed in a car crash on November 8, 2022. - What were the circumstances leading up to the crash?
Woods was involved in a traffic stop, where he allegedly complained about an argument with his significant other and mentioned suicide and his pending prison sentence. He then fled the scene and drove the wrong way onto Interstate 55, causing a fatal crash. - What is the prosecution’s case against Woods?
The prosecution’s case relies on the testimony of witnesses, including the police officer who confronted Woods before the crash, and the evidence collected from the crash scene
