University of Illinois officer dies in crash caused by suspected DUI driver, cops say

A University of Illinois police lieutenant died in an off-duty crash caused by suspected intoxicated driver, officials said.

Lt. Aaron Landers was riding a motorcycle Sunday evening in Champaign when a 25-year-old woman “disobeyed a traffic light” and hit another vehicle, police said. The force of the collision pushed the second vehicle into Landers’ motorcycle and he was taken to a local hospital, where he died.

The 25-year-old woman was jailed on preliminary charges of aggravated driving under the influence, police said. She had not been formally charged as of Monday afternoon.

Landers, 50 was a member of the university’s police department for 24 years and remembered as a “passionate” officer.

“You could see that in everything he did, in how he interacted with people, and in the genuine relationships he was able to build. He cared deeply about serving the community,” University of Illinois Police Chief Alice Cary said in a statement.

Hours before the crash, Landers and K-9 Winston, a therapy dog, visited a university event with hundreds of campus organization as students returned for classes. Landers led the department’s new outreach and support team.

“What he did went beyond traditional police work,” Cary said. “He was interested in the total well-being of the people he helped, in terms of their mental wellness and making sure they had to resources they need to be successful.”

Landers is survived by his wife and two children.

This story was originally published August 23, 2021 at 1:09 PM with the headline "University of Illinois officer dies in crash caused by suspected DUI driver, cops say."