Sangamon County Sheriff's Lieutenant Cited After Striking Pedestrian in Springfield Crosswalk

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- A lieutenant with the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office was cited by Springfield Police for striking a pedestrian in a marked crosswalk in downtown Springfield, causing severe injuries that included 14 broken ribs and a lacerated kidney.

Lt. Andrew J. Henton was off duty when he was behind the wheel of an office-issued Ford F-150 at approximately 8:45 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 24, near the intersection of Ninth and Monroe Streets, close to the Sangamon County Complex. Henton was driving south on Ninth Street and made a left turn east onto Monroe Street when he struck a pedestrian who was walking north in the crosswalk, according to a traffic crash report obtained by News Channel 20 through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Although Henton had a green light, the pedestrian still had the right of way in the crosswalk. The report and a Springfield Police investigation led to Henton being issued a citation for failure to yield to a pedestrian using a crosswalk.

Severe Injuries Confirmed

The pedestrian was rushed to the hospital after the crash. A witness, Vanessa Knox of Springfield, who was parked on Monroe Street facing west, described the moment of impact.

"The man just howled and screamed so bad, it was just gut-wrenching," Knox told The State Journal-Register. "I felt so horrible for him. I haven't been able to sleep since Thursday. I keep thinking about this man."

Knox, who was the only other person in the area at the time, said the pedestrian was the only person in the crosswalk and was knocked back about six feet by the impact.

News Channel 20 reported that the pedestrian suffered 14 broken ribs and a lacerated kidney. Springfield Police later told the sheriff's department the injuries were believed to be non-life-threatening. The pedestrian has not been publicly identified.

Dashcam Video Released

On Friday, Oct. 3, the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office released two videos: dashcam footage of the crash and a separate recording showing Henton's immediate reaction. In the footage, Henton stops the vehicle, jumps out, checks on the pedestrian, and uses his radio to call for emergency services.

A county news release stated that a review of the dashboard and in-car camera footage showed Henton was not using his phone or computer and that there were no other distractions inside the vehicle at the time.

"The incident was an unfortunate accident, and we wish the pedestrian a speedy recovery," the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.

No Discipline, Court Date Set

A county spokesman said Henton was neither placed on leave nor faced any other repercussions from the sheriff's department. Sheriff Paula Crouch and several other personnel from the sheriff's office were among those who arrived at the scene after the crash.

An unnamed source told The State Journal-Register that Henton was on his way to a meeting with Crouch when the accident happened.

Henton has a first court appearance scheduled for Oct. 15, according to the circuit clerk's website.

Notably, according to records, Henton was previously cited for failure to reduce speed in 2024.