Off-Duty Elmhurst Officer Killed In Homer Glen Crash
HOMER GLEN, Ill. (STMW) - An off-duty Elmhurst police officer was killed in a crash Saturday morning on an icy stretch of Route 6, authorities said.
Kyle P. Dieling, 27, of Elmhurst was eastbound on Route 6 and lost control of his vehicle, the Will County coroner's office said Saturday. The vehicle left the roadway and struck a guardrail, state police said.
"His vehicle lost control while it was traveling over an icy part of the roadway," said Deputy Chief Dan Buenz of the Elmhurst Police Department.
Dieling was pronounced dead at 11:10 a.m. Saturday on Route 6 a quarter-mile west of Spring Meadows Drive in Homer Glen.
The mood was somber on New Year's Day at the Elmhurst Police Department, Buenz said. Strong bonds have developed among the 70 full-time officers, 10 part-time officers and other staff who work with one another day after day at the department, Buenz said.
"Kyle loved police work," Buenz said. "Kyle was a very well-respected officer, and a very well-liked member of the police department. He was doing a great job."
Kyle had been with the department for just more than a year at the time of his death.
"Our motto is 'Providing the Best,' and we hire the best to provide the best. And that's what we did with Kyle," Buenz said.
Buenz said it was a tragic accident, and he expressed sympathy for the officer's family, who was informed of the loss of a son on the holiday.
An autopsy has been scheduled for Monday. State police are investigating the incident. Funeral home selection was pending on Saturday evening.
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