ST. JOSEPH, Ill. (WCIA) — St. Joseph will pay tribute to fallen Illinois State Trooper and village local Corey Thompsen with a street designation in his memory.

The board approved earlier this week the naming of Peters Drive after Thompsen, who died in an on-duty motorcycle crash in October. The suggestion to designate a street in Thompsen’s memory was made by Timbra Hilton, a teacher at St. Joseph Middle School who taught Thompsen there 15 years ago.

Hilton said at the board meeting that it didn’t matter to her which street is designated in Thompsen’s honor, but his family had decided on Peter’s Drive, the street St. Joseph Middle School is on.

“I spoke with Susan Thompsen [Thompsen’s mother], and she spoke with the family, I told her a couple of different options that I had proposed,” Hilton said. “And they went out together as a family one night and thought it would be nice on Peters Drive.”

Hilton also expressed that the family should be allowed to consider how far the designation will span.

“I also live on Peter’s Drive right down here, and it was just it was really nice to see how the whole community got behind a fallen officer,” said Tyler Mccune, Middle School P.E. Teacher. “And we really support our police and St. Joe, and I mean, I feel like it really showed when we got to honor him with this tree and then also the volleyball game, the fundraiser and whatnot. It was it was really cool.”

However long the designation will be, the board agreed on having signs at both ends to mark the beginning and end. Hilton also brought up the idea of having a sign in front of the middle school.

“I think that would be a great designation in front of the school for future generations to recognize,” she said.

The village board agreed to officially pass the motion with a resolution at its next meeting, which will be March 25.