Share and Follow
MONTICELLO, Ill. (WCIA) — The Piatt County Sheriff is reminding drivers to get behind the wheel carefully after seeing an “uptick” in the number of serious crashes in his area over the past six months.
In the past four weeks, deputies have responded to three involving death.
Mark Vogelzang, the sheriff, said the investigations for each accident are ongoing. The department is waiting for toxicology results for some of them. But, he said, a couple of them have been a result of impaired driving.
One of the crashes happened five miles north of Deland. Four people were taken to the hospital and one person died.
After investigating, the sheriff’s office learned that 44-year-old Jason Sharp of Farmer City was driving westbound on 2500 North Road. The initial investigation indicates that Sharp disobeyed a yield sign at 800 East Road, hit a car heading north on 800 East Road on its passenger side, which caused the car to roll over.
Responding to this, and other recent crashes, takes a toll on families, communities and first responders alike.
“In recent years, the wellness factor has been a big push,” Vogelzang said. “There have been organizations that have started where officers can reach out, whether it’s in person or via phone, they can be anonymous, and they can talk to other fellow first responders to work through what they’re feeling.”
Before you hit the road, he wants drivers to slow down, put phones away, and never drink and drive. As the weather gets warmer and more farmers have equipment on the roads around their fields, he also wants everyone to remember to slow down around them. He recommends slowing down as you approach an intersection, even if there’s no stop or yield sign.