A 75-year-old Stewardson man is dead after his motorcycle collided with a car pulling out of a gas station onto Illinois Route 32 on Monday afternoon, according to preliminary findings from investigators. Keith Rentfro was thrown from his bike in the crash and later died at a hospital in Effingham, roughly an hour after the collision occurred.
The crash happened around 2:45 p.m. Monday as Rentfro was traveling southbound on Route 32, according to Effingham Daily News. Investigators say a vehicle driven by Patty Renner had pulled out of the Phillips 66 gas station to head north on Route 32 when it collided with Rentfro's motorcycle. Renner was not injured in the crash, per the same report.
Rentfro was rushed to HSHS St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital in Effingham, where he was pronounced dead. According to Effingham Radio, he was declared deceased at 3:47 p.m., roughly one hour after the initial collision on Route 32. The Effingham County Coroner's Office was called to the hospital regarding the death, and Coroner Kim Rhodes and Deputy Coroner Lauren Heuerman identified the deceased as Rentfro, per the Effingham Daily News report.
Multiple Agencies Responded to the Scene
Illinois State Police, the Shelby County Sheriff's Department, the Stewardson Police Department, and the Illinois State Police Reconstruction Unit all responded to the scene in Stewardson. The reconstruction unit also assisted with the investigation, according to WAND-TV.
An autopsy to determine Rentfro's official cause of death is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the McLean County Coroner's Office in Bloomington, per WAND-TV's report. The case remains under investigation by the Effingham County Coroner's Office, Illinois State Police Troop 7 — based in Pesotum — and the Shelby County Sheriff's Department, according to the Effingham Daily News.
A Longtime Rider With Deep Roots in Stewardson
Rentfro was an experienced long-distance motorcycle rider who had previously completed cross-country trips on a Honda Gold Wing with his late wife, Kathy Jo Rentfro, before her death in 2011, according to an obituary published by the Journal Gazette & Times-Courier. Kathy Jo Rentfro had a connection to Stewardson, according to the obituary. Route 32 links Shelbyville to Sullivan and Windsor, according to Shelby Realty Services. Stewardson has a population of roughly 720, and the highway runs through the village.
Illinois Law Puts the Burden on Vehicles Entering Traffic
Under Illinois Vehicle Code Section 625 ILCS 5/11-906, drivers entering or crossing a highway from an alley, building, private road, or driveway are required by law to yield the right-of-way to approaching vehicles already on the roadway, according to the Illinois General Assembly. In this crash, a vehicle pulling out into traffic collided with Rentfro's motorcycle.
The available reports do not specify Illinois motorcycle helmet or equipment requirements.
The available reports do not provide the cited statewide or national statistics on motorcycle fatalities, vehicle registrations, seasonal fatality patterns, or visibility-related collisions.
The crash remained under investigation Tuesday. The autopsy to determine the official cause of Rentfro's death is scheduled for Wednesday in Bloomington.
