COMPTON — A 16-year-old girl from Earlville was killed Monday afternoon in a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Route 251 and Chicago Road in southern Lee County. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said a pickup traveling west on Chicago Road pulled into the path of a northbound tractor trailer hauling grain around 2:20 PM and was struck broadside. The driver, Chasity J. Stavenhagen, a junior at Earlville CUSD 9, was pronounced dead at the scene. Her passenger, a 20-year-old West Brooklyn man, was first taken to an area hospital, then airlifted to Rockford in critical condition. The semi driver, a 62-year-old man from Sublette, was not injured. The road was closed for several hours as deputies, accident reconstructionists, and state police investigated.
In a social media post, Earlville CUSD 9 stated that a counseling team will be on-site and available for both staff and students starting Wednesday from Noon to 3 PM and Thursday 1 PM – 4 PM. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Illinois State Police, Compton Volunteer Fire Department, Paw Paw Fire and EMS, the Lee County Coroner’s Office, and the Illinois Department of Transportation.
