Trooper Carns with his children and wife

ISP Trooper with his children, Ally and Gray, and his wife, Meghan

 provided by ISP

ORLAND PARK, Ill. (WAND) - Services will be held this week for an Illinois State Police trooper who was killed in the line of duty just two days before Christmas after being hit by a passing vehicle on Interstate 55 near Channahon.

Services for Trooper Clay Carns will be held at Parkview Christian Church, 11100 Orland Parkway in Orland Park, Illinois. Visitation will take place Thursday, January 2, from 1 to 8 p.m., with a first responder walk through at 6 p.m. The funeral service will be Friday, January 3, at 10 a.m. A private Interment will follow.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Trooper Clay Carns Memorial fund.

Trooper Carns was outside his squad car removing debris from a lane on southbound Interstate 55 north of Blodgett Road near Channahon around 10 p.m. Monday, Dec. 23, when he was hit by a passing vehicle. 

Trooper Carns was taken to St. Joseph Hospital in Joliet where he died.

Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation Zone 1 arrested the driver, 69-year-old John Fleet of Wilmington, IL for Scott’s Law (Class 4 Felony) after the crash. Fleet stayed on scene after the crash. 

Trooper Clay Carns and John Fleet

Trooper Clay Carns (left) and John Fleet (right) 

Trooper Carns was 35 years old and served 11 years as an officer with ISP. He was assigned to Troop 3. ​

He is survived by his wife Meghan, children Gray and Ally, and parents Patty and Danny Carns.

On Saturday, December 28, the Clay Carns Family released the following statement to the media:

"The Family of Trooper Clay Carns mourn the loss of their treasured husband, father, son, brother, uncle, and friend. We could never begin to thank law enforcement nor the thousands from our community who have reached out to us to express their love and support.

 To the public, Clay became a hero on December 23, 2024, when he was killed in the line of duty. To his family, he has always been a hero.

 Our world has been shattered, and we will never be the same. But we take comfort in knowing that he lived his life with such purpose, he loved his family and friends fiercely, and he took great pride in his work.

'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.' -Matthew 5:9."

 

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