Injured Trooper Brian Frank Awarded Illinois Law Enforcement Medal of Honor
Gov. JB Pritzker and Brendan F. Kelly, Illinois State Police Director and Illinois Law Enforcement Medal of Honor Committee Chair, presented the Illinois Law Enforcement Medal of Honor to ISP Trooper Brian Frank in recognition of his exceptional bravery and sacrificial service to the residents of Illinois.
On Feb. 15, 2021, Frank was seriously injured as a result of a Move Over Law violation, known as Scott’s Law in Illinois. Trooper Frank was responding to a traffic crash at approximately 11:46 a.m. on north bound Interstate 55 near U.S. 30.
Frank had pulled behind the wrecked vehicles in the left lane and had the emergency lights
activated to assist with directing traffic to the right. While in his squad car, a 2010 black Cadillac crashed into the rear of the vehicle.
Frank was airlifted to a local hospital with serious injuries. The driver of the Cadillac, 20-year-old Angel M. Casillas of Joliet, also was transported to an area hospital with minor injuries.
Casillas was charged with Aggravated Reckless Driving and for violating the Move Over Law. After years of intensive therapy, Frank still has not regained full consciousness, according to his wife, Lauren.
“Navigating Brian’s severe traumatic brain injury recovery and aftermath has been the hardest thing I ever could have imagined,” said Lauren Frank in a press release.
“ The setbacks, the complications, the legal matters, the medical bills, the home life adjustments, just to name a few obstacles since the crash, have been incomprehensible. I am grateful to take a moment to pause and recognize Brian for the hero that he is.
“Amidst all the heartache, he deserves to be celebrated for surviving another year against all odds, for the sacrifice he made, risking and ultimately giving his life, to protect others. I am so proud of Brian and it is my honor to love him and fight alongside him for his healing. For today, this acknowledgment with the Medal of Honor is certainly a gift.”
Pritzker said the Medal of Honor is one of the highest distinctions in all of law enforcement, awarded to “brave officers who put themselves in harms way to keep Illinoisans safe and protected.
“Trooper Frank, in his service to Illinois State Police, and in the example he has set during his recovery, has set a high standard of bravery and made our state a better and safer place — especially for his fellow officers. This Medal of Honor will not even begin to repay Trooper Frank’s sacrifices, but I hope it serves as a reminder of the reverence we hold him in and the incredibly positive impact of his service.”
The Illinois Law Enforcement Medal of Honor is awarded by the Law Enforcement Medal of Honor Committee to officers who have been killed or seriously injured in the line of duty, or who have displayed exceptional bravery or heroism while performing their duties as a law enforcement officer. Due to his ongoing recovery efforts, Frank has been unable to attend previous awards ceremonies.
“There are not enough words to express the extreme gratitude for Trooper Brian Frank’s selfless sacrifice, nor the words to convey the heartache for his debilitating injuries,” said Kelly. “It is truly an honor to award Trooper Brian Frank the Illinois Law Enforcement Medal of Honor.”
A photo of Trooper Brian Frank’s squad car after it was rear-ended by the driver of a Cadillac.