A 24-year-old Harvard man, whose family said he was “loved deeply by so many,” died after a high-speed crash involving two vehicles in Winnebago County.
The incident happened around 4:30 p.m. Saturday at McDonald Road and Sage Hen Trail in Roscoe.
The Winnebago County Coroner’s Office said Matthew Jackson, 24, of Harvard, died in the crash.
A preliminary investigation showed Jackson was driving his car eastbound on McDonald Road at a high rate of speed, according to the coroner’s office.
Another vehicle was traveling westbound on McDonald Road when Jackson’s vehicle struck that vehicle head-on.
The Harlem-Roscoe Fire Protection District, Roscoe Police Department and Mercyhealth MD-1 responded to the scene.
Emergency personnel removed Jackson from the vehicle and transferred him to an ambulance.
Jackson was assessed and deemed to be beyond resuscitation, the coroner’s office said. A doctor pronounced him dead at 5 p.m.
The coroner’s office conducted an autopsy on Jackson on Tuesday and confirmed he died from blunt trauma to the chest due to the crash.
An obituary for Jackson said he was born in Woodstock, went to school in Belvidere and had most recently lived in Harvard.
The man had been working with his uncle at a car dealership in Elgin as an auto body repair technician and “loved his job.”
He previously lived in Michigan for several years and had worked in construction there.
“His best friend was his dog, Shiloh, who he deeply loved. They went everywhere together. Every day Shiloh would wait patiently (and sometimes impatiently) for him to come home from work so they could jump in the car and ride together,” his obituary said.
“He had a great smile that would light up a room. He was good at keeping in contact with his friends, texting, calling and visiting. He left a big impact on a lot of people. He was always there for his family and friends and was loved deeply by so many people,” the obituary added.
A visitation will be held Sunday at Anderson Funeral Home in Belvidere.