A 62-year-old man was killed March 1 in a motorcycle crash in Illinois.
Daniel W. Steward of Sorento, Illinois, was traveling east on I-270 between Route 203 and Route 111. According to Illinois State Police, Mr. Steward had been riding in the left lane. He lost control of his motorcycle at about 7:15 p.m., ran off the left side of the road, and crashed into median cable wires. He was thrown from his bike when it flipped over.
Stephen Nonn, Madison County Coroner, stated that coroner’s investigator Sakina Hall had pronounced Mr. Steward dead at the scene at 7:45 p.m. He had received at skull fracture. An autopsy was not planned, although Nonn said that a routine toxicology test was scheduled to determine whether alcohol or drugs were instrumental in Steward’s accident.
Mr. Steward had been riding a black 2008 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide motorcycle. According to the police report, he was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. Illinois state law does not require motorcyclists to wear a helmet.
The eastbound lanes of I-270 were closed for a short time due to the crash. Traffic was restricted to one lane for several hours while the accident was under investigation.
We would like to express our condolences to Mr. Steward’s family and friends at this sorrowful time.
The staff and attorneys at Hupy and Abraham’s Gurnee office wish to emphasize that wearing a helmet is the best, simplest, and least expensive safety improvement Illinois motorcycle can make. Illinois law allows the adult rider to make a choice whether to wear a helmet. We thoroughly endorse the choice to wear a helmet, for your own protection and to serve as an example to others of socially responsible behavior.