Illinois man who pleaded guilty to Jan. 6 attack is arrested in fatal Interstate 55 crash

A 44-year-old Auburn, Ill., man who pleaded guilty in federal court in early September to assaulting a law enforcement officer during the deadly Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol has been arrested in connection with a fatal accident on Interstate 55 Tuesday.

Illinois State Police confirmed Sunday morning Shane Jason Woods, also known as Shane Castleman, had been taken into custody.

More:Woman killed in I-55 accident identified by Sangamon County coroner

Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell said Woods was arrested for reckless homicide, aggravated driving under the influence, driving under the influence and fleeing/eluding police. He was taken to the Sangamon County Jail and his bond was set at $2 million.

Lauren Wegner, 35, of Clayton, North Carolina, died Tuesday when the vehicle she was driving collided with Woods' vehicle in the southbound lanes near mile marker 88.

Woods was driving the wrong way on I-55 when the two vehicles struck each other just past 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Three other vehicles were involved in the incident injuring three people, including Woods.

Reached Sunday, Sangamon County State's Attorney Dan Wright said his office has been working closely with ISP to investigate the crash. The filing of formal charges against Woods is expected this week.

In the Jan. 6 case, Woods also pleaded guilty to a related federal assault charge on a member of the news media. He was arrested on June 24, 2021, in Springfield.

Woods was scheduled to be sentenced on the federal charges on Jan. 13, 2023. He faces up to eight years in prison.

According to court documents, Woods knocked a female U.S. Capitol officer off her feet, sending her crashing into a downed bicycle barricade. The officer had earlier been sprayed with a chemical irritant and was pursuing the individual when Woods lowered his shoulder and rammed into her.

Several hours later, Woods gathered with other rioters in the media staging area on the northeast side of the Capitol. Woods walked around some of the piled media equipment that had been and was in the process of being destroyed by other rioters, and he tossed some of it himself.

At the same time, a member of the news media attempted to walk away to protect himself and his camera. Woods took a running start and hit the man with a blindside shoulder tackle, knocking him to the ground and causing him to drop the camera.

Woods was the first person charged in connection with an assault on members of news media during the breach.

Woods, who owned Auburn Heating & Air Conditioning, drove to Washington, D.C. on Jan. 5 and returned to Auburn on Jan. 7, according to photos in the complaint.

The Jan. 6 violence in Washington left five dead. A Capitol Police officer died after suffering two strokes the day after the riots.

Supporters of then-president Donald Trump attempted to disrupt a joint session of Congress assembled to count electoral votes to formalize then-President-elect Joe Biden's victory in the Nov. 6 election.

Groundbreaking sports broadcaster, Springfield native Fred Hickman dead at 66

Trump repeated false claims of election "irregularities" at a rally earlier on Jan. 6.

Two men from Springfield were also arrested in connection with the riots.

Thomas B. Adams, Jr. and Roy Nelson Franklin face charges of entering a restricted building, violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds and obstructing an official proceeding.

Adams' trial is set for March 13. Franklin's case is pending.

The cases are being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Illinois man who pleaded guilty in Jan. 6 attack arrested in fatal crash