Illinois State Police, Illinois
End of Watch: Tuesday, June 6, 1995
Age: 29
Tour of Duty: 5 years
Badge Number: 4348
Cause of Death: Vehicular assault
Date of Incident: June 5, 1995
Weapon Used: Automobile
Suspect Info: 8 year sentence
Trooper Chong Soo Lim was killed when his patrol car was struck from behind and burst into flames during a traffic stop on the Northwest Tollway.
Trooper Lim stopped a car on I-90 near Hoffman Estates. He was sitting in his squad car when a pickup truck struck the rear of his vehicle and forced it into the automobile in front of him. The force of the collision caused the gas tank to explode and trapped Trooper Lim inside.
The 31-year-old driver, in the country illegally from Mexico, was arrested for DUI. He was later convicted of vehicular homicide and sentenced to eight years in prison.
Born in South Korea, Trooper Lim patrolled District 3 in Chicago upon graduating from the Academy. He transferred to the midnight shift in District 15, Oak Brook, just one month before his death. He is survived by his wife.
On June 5, 1996, District 15, Oak Brook, dedicated its operations area in memory of Trooper Lim.