DeKalb County sheriff's deputy killed in crash on IL-23 ID'd

DEKALB COUNTY, Ill. (WLS) -- A DeKalb County sheriff's deputy was killed in a crash on Thursday night, Illinois State Police said.

Deputy Christina Musil joined the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office five years ago.

Musil also spent for four years in the Army National Guard as a military police officer who served in Afghanistan from 2008 to 2009 before her life was cut short.

The crash, involving a sheriff's vehicle and a Kenworth truck, happened at about 10:39 p.m. on Illinois 23 south of Perry Road in Waterman, police said.

Fresh flowers now stand off the side of IL-23. The overnight collision happened near what neighbors call a dangerous intersection.

"The noise it makes is just something I can't even say," said Afton Township resident Sue Russell. "You hear the noise, and it's brutal."

Russell said she has seen at least eight severe crashes there in the past year alone. One of them was a deadly crash in November where she, a retired nurse, ran to render first aid.

"We kind of had a group to get what aid we could to them before someone came, because you're the first one there," Russell said.

ISP said a semi rear-ended 35-year-old Musil as she sat in her Ford Explorer squad car on the shoulder of the road. Video captured the damage, with the sheriff's SUV back end crushed, compressed and crumpled.

Musil was transported in critical condition to DeKalb's Kishwaukee Hospital, where she later died from her injuries, police said.

"It is shock, awe, dismay, hurt," said Molly Stoffa, another Afton Township resident.

Neighbors like Stoffa said a loss of life like this is no surprise. She says she had witnessed over two dozen crashes near that intersection since 2018, which led her to bring her concerns to the DeKalb County Board.

"Let's just say there are some scenes that are gruesome, and there are some scenes that, 'OK, these aren't that bad,'" Stoffa said. "You shouldn't have PTSD sitting in your house from hearing, you know, the sound when accidents happen. You just know. And they are pretty much always high-speed accidents."

Now, a community is mourning the loss of a public servant as they ask for more safety measures to be put in place, like blinking lights on Perry Road.

Another neighbor who lives near the intersection and didn't want to be identified said he'd like to see more law enforcement.

"Unfortunately, there's not a lot of places for the police to stop and radar, but I think more presence would be warranted," the neighbor said.

Meanwhile, a squad car in downtown Sycamore near the sheriff's office is now draped in purple bunting.

ISP is investigating the crash that took Musil's life.

ABC7 has reached out to county administrators about the possibility of new safety measures in place but did not immediately hear back.

The Illinois Department of Transportation is looking into the possibility of safety enhancements for IL- 23.

DeKalb County officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In a statement, ISP said, "The Illinois State Police sends its condolences and support to the family and friends of the Deputy killed in the line of duty, as well as to our brethren at the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office."

Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly said in a statement, "All those who serve in the Illinois State Police hold in our hearts the family and friends of the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office Deputy killed in the line of duty last night, and offer condolences and support. We cannot take away the pain, but we will help carry the grief."