A semi-truck collided with another vehicle on U.S. Route 52 near Church Road in Lisbon Township on Tuesday afternoon, killing one person and shutting down the rural Kendall County highway for hours. The crash happened around 1:13 p.m., according to the Kendall County Sheriff's Office, which asked drivers to seek alternate routes while investigators worked the scene.
Authorities had not released the identity of the person killed, said which vehicle the victim was riding in, or disclosed what caused the crash, as reported by NBC Chicago. Sheriff's deputies and Illinois State Police troopers both responded to the scene, with the sheriff's office saying the roadway would stay closed while the investigation continued. As of 3:40 p.m., the highway remained shut down, according to state police. No additional details were immediately available.
The intersection of U.S. 52 and Church Road remained closed, and motorists were advised to use alternate routes, according to Shaw Local.
Why Fatal Crash Scenes Stay Closed for Hours
Under Illinois State Police Directive OPS-061, the agency investigates crashes involving injury or death.
It isn't the first time a deadly crash has forced an extended shutdown of this stretch of highway. A fatal collision on U.S. 52 in September 2015 closed the highway between Grove Road and Brisbin Road for an extended period during the emergency response and investigation, according to FOX 32 Chicago. Rural segments of U.S. 52 through Kendall County consist largely of two-lane undivided pavement, a layout shared by many of the county's deadliest corridors.
The statewide picture on commercial trucking shows a similar tension. Provisional Illinois Department of Transportation data for 2025 found that while overall statewide traffic fatalities hit a six-year low of 1,172, deaths in crashes involving semi-trucks rose from 115 to 133, nearly 16 percent year-over-year, according to the Nelson Law firm.
Speed Limits and Navigation Concerns for Trucks
County officials have said high speeds contribute to crashes in the county, and the Kendall County Sheriff's Office has conducted a yearlong grant-funded speed-enforcement campaign.
Separately, Kendall County municipal traffic logs from February documented a commercial truck driver using phone GPS, according to Citizen Portal. Investigators have not released findings on the cause of Tuesday's crash.
