CARROLL Co., Ill. (KWQC) – Cause of death of man Mt. Carroll was released.

Coroner Dr. Mark Peters says 18-year-old Jackson Kradle died of blunt force trauma to the head from a pedestrian-vehicle crash.

Carroll County Coroner Matthew Jones announced that an inquest into Kradle’s death is scheduled for Dec. 13.

According to the press release, an investigation is aimed at determining the manner of death. The manner and cause of death are both important.

Jones says the investigation is part of the process to shed light on what happened, to protect the rights of Kradle and his family, and to ensure transparency throughout the process.

From a statement by Sheriff Ryan Kloepping on November 7:

Carroll County dispatchers received a non-emergency call from an off-duty employee at 3:33 a.m. on July 28. report of a body on Illinois Route 78, south of Lowden Road.

An off-duty deputy and an off-duty dispatcher who is also a paramedic were on scene at the time.

An on-duty deputy and a nearby city officer were dispatched to the scene. Two Illinois State Troopers also responded at 3:45 am. Shortly after, Illinois State Police arrived at the crime scene.

Kloepping said it is common for Crime Scene Services to respond to all unattended or suspicious deaths in Carroll County. That team can handle cases with the proper training, knowledge, and equipment.

The sheriff, chief deputy and a detective also responded to the scene. The person who reported the incident has already been released from the scene.

The Carroll County Coroner was contacted at 5:14 a.m. to respond while crime scene services were still processing the scene for possible evidence.

The person in the roadway did not have any identification on them, and personnel at the scene did not know who they were. Personnel at the scene suggested a possible identity and deemed it inaccurate.

The body was removed from the scene by the coroner.

Kloepping contacted Fire Chief Mt. Carroll and responded to the scene to perform a roadway wash.

The road was then opened to traffic and law enforcement officers went to the funeral home to meet with the coroner. Their main objective at that time was to determine who was going to inform the family properly.

Additional law enforcement resources responded from Rockford with equipment that could help identify the body.

A short time later, deputies identified Jackson.

Kloepping then went to the homes of Jackson’s father and mother.

Deputies questioned others present to hopefully assist in the investigation.

After leaving the families’ homes, command personnel met at the initial scene on Illinois Route 78 to discuss how they would proceed with the investigation.

Deputies determined the next steps will involve interviewing the two employees who reported the incident.

Because of the potential conflict of interest, Kloepping called the Illinois State Police and requested that their investigative unit handle the case.

Deputies gave them the details of the case and asked them to handle the incident throughout the investigation.

The next day, Kloepping, the deputy chief and a detective met with the two employees who reported this incident. They have been placed on administrative leave and notified of an internal investigation, according to the statement.

Kloepping said as members of the Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council, the employees are afforded certain rights and were given a 48-hour meeting time for a questioning to take place.

That procedure follows Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council guidelines and allows them adequate time to have representation if desired, he said.

Kloepping said on July 31, just before the questioning, both employees resigned from their positions.

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