Man to be charged with attempted murder after firing at semi driver on I-57

CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, Ill. (WCIA) — An East St. Louis man is being charged for shooting at a semi-truck driver.

Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Rietz said 40-year-old LeJoshua Smith will be arraigned in court Friday for attempted first-degree murder and aggravated discharge of a firearm after a shots fired incident Thursday afternoon.

Illinois State Police investigators said Smith was driving with a female passenger and two children when he passed a semi truck. He slowed down after passing, which led to the semi hitting his car’s bumper.

After that collision, Smith told investigators he became enraged and fired eight shots with a handgun he had in his car near milepost 223. The bullets hit the cab side of the truck near the driver.

State police were able to locate Smith and his car about 20 minutes after Smith fired at the truck near milepost 249, but he refused to stop. He engaged in a multi-county chase with State Police, weaving between cars, driving on the shoulder and speeding in a construction zone. At some points, Smith was going as fast as 124 mph before State Police deployed stop sticks in Iroquois County.

Rietz said the female passenger tried to convince Smith to stop, but she was unsuccessful.

If convicted, Smith faces up to 45 years in prison. Rietz said she is asking for pre-trial detention in this case.

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