Auburn Man Who Pleaded Guilty to Involvement in Jan. 6 Capitol Riot Arrested for Fatal I-55 Crash

By Benjamin Cox on November 13, 2022 at 5:25pm

An Auburn man who pleaded guilty in federal court in early September to assaulting a law enforcement officer and members of the media during the January 6th Capitol Riot has been arrested in connection with a fatal accident on Interstate 55 Tuesday.

The State Journal Register reports that 44 year old Shane Jason Woods, also known as Shane Castleman, has been taken into custody by the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department for reckless homicide, aggravated driving under the influence, driving under the influence and fleeing/eluding police. He is currently lodged at the Sangamon County Jail on $2 million bond.

Woods’ GMC Sierra is said to have entered Interstate 55 northbound in the southbound lanes from exit ramp 88 at mile marker 89, approximately 1 mile south of Toronto Road. It then hit two other cars, a Mercury Sable and a Toyota Corolla, just north of Exit 88 before overturning. A fourth vehicle, a semi, drove through the crash scene immediately after the impact of the three cars.

The driver of the Mercury Sable, 35 year old Lauren Wegner of Clayton, North Carolina was pronounced deceased at the scene Tuesday by Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon.

Woods along with a passenger in the Toyota Corolla, a 54-year-old female from Granite City were taken to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Corolla, a 61-year-old Granite City man, was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The Illinois State Police report on the crash said the semi truck driver, a 37 year old man from Spring, Texas, refused medical attention at the scene. Traffic was backed up and diverted for several hours.

The State Journal Register says that Sangamon County State’s Attorney Dan Wright has been working closely with ISP to investigate the crash and formal charges against Woods are expected early this week.

In the January 6th, Woods is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court on January 13, 2023. He faces up to eight years in prison.