Grand Jury Indicts Auburn Man with First-Degree Murder in Fatal I-55 Crash

By Jeremy Coumbes on November 16, 2022 at 1:04pm

An Auburn man who currently awaits sentencing in Federal Court related to his participation in the January 6th Capitol riot now faces a slew of state charges stemming from the fatal I-55 crash last week.

Sangamon County State’s Attorney Dan Wright is announcing this afternoon that this morning a Sangamon County Grand Jury returned a 6-count indictment against 44-year-old Shane Jason Woods of Auburn.

Woods now faces charges of First Degree Murder, Aggravated Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, and Aggravated Fleeing and Eluding a Peace Officer arising from a November 8, 2022, fatal traffic collision on Interstate 55 that claimed the life of a 35-year-old North Carolina woman and sent two more people to the hospital with serious injures.

Woods remains held at the Sangamon County Jail on $2 million bond. Following the return of the indictment, the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office has filed a petition for denial of bail in the Sangamon County Case.

Woods is scheduled to be sentenced on federal charges on January 13th in relation to his role in the January 6th Capitol Riot in which he attacked a Capitol Police officer and members of the media. Woods faces up to 8 years on those charges.

Sangamon County State’s Attorney Dan Wright is scheduled to formally announce the charges in full during a press conference at 2:30 this afternoon.