KANKAKEE, IL – A chilling double tragedy struck Kankakee County in the early hours Sunday as two separate motorcycle crashes claimed the lives of three individuals within a mere 43-minute interval.
According to authorities the initial incident occurred at 2:02 am, near the intersection of 14770 East and 12000 North Road in Grant Park, Illinois. An eastbound motorcycle collided tragically with a deer, causing the vehicle to veer off-road and eject both its occupants. The victims, identified as Jerry E. Adcock, 34, and Alyssa R. Sullivan, 34, both residents of Crown Point, Indiana, were pronounced dead at the scene at 3:00 am.
The Kankakee County Coroner’s Office, in conjunction with the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Department, has initiated an ongoing investigation to uncover the events leading to this heartrending accident.
Only 43 minutes later, at 2:45 am, the county was struck by another calamity near 14000 East and 4000 North Road in Momence, Illinois. The Illinois State Police Accident Reconstruction Unit has taken the reins of this investigation. Bert N. Lawton, 52, a Grant Park, Illinois local, was identified as the sole rider of the motorcycle in this incident.
Tragically, Mr. Lawton succumbed to his injuries at 3:56 am while receiving treatment at Riverside Medical Center’s Emergency Department. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday. The Kankakee County Coroner’s Office, the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Department, and the Illinois State Police Troop 5 are joining forces to unravel the details of this heartbreaking occurrence.
