Following yesterday’s crash on Illinois Route 32, a 75 year old Stewardson man has been declared dead. From late afternoon until the early evening hours, that stretch of the highway remained closed for crash reconstruction and more, requiring multiple law enforcement agencies to respond to the scene…
Illinois State Police were among the first to do so and arrived around 2:50 p.m. on Monday.
They came upon a portion of IL Route 32, which was south of Shelby County Road 337 North near Stewardson, where a vehicle and a motorcycle had collided. Traffic precautions were put in place almost immediately and remained there for nearly three hours as investigators worked the scene. The Illinois Department of Transportation also assisted with traffic buildup.
The Effingham County Coroner’s Office has now identified the motorcyclist as Keith Rentfro, age 75, of Stewardson. According to the initial findings, Rentfro was riding south on IL Route 32 when Patty Renner of Stewardson pulled out of the Phillips 66 gas station and attempted to travel north instead. The two collided, and Rentfro was thrown from his motorcycle. It was reported by residents who saw the aftermath, that Rentfro’s bike was “in pieces.”
Although he was quickly transported to HSHS St. Anthony Hospital in Effingham, Rentfro succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at 3:47 p.m. yesterday. Renner was not said to have been injured as a result of the crash.
For now, an autopsy is scheduled for tomorrow (Wednesday) morning at the McLean County Coroner’s Office in Bloomington, to determine the official cause of death. The crash remains under investigation by the Effingham County Coroner’s Office, Illinois State Police Troop 7, and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department.
Illinois State Police, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department, the Stewardson Police Department, and the ISP Reconstruction Unit all responded to the fatal collision on Monday.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Rentfro’s family and friends during this trying time.
