6-28-2023 DIP News

At about 5:20 p.m. on 06/13/23, a motor vehicle crash was reported to the Jo Daviess County Sheriff’s Department.

Injuries involved several vehicles on Highway 20 at Glen Hollow Road in rural Galena. Investigating deputies learned that several vehicles were stopped in traffic awaiting a vehicle to turn onto Glen Hollow Road.

Matt Evans, 35, of Hanover, Illinois drove his 2021 Chevrolet Traverse east on Highway 20 and approached stopped traffic. Evans’ vehicle rear-ended a 2017 Ford van driven by Steven R. Maize, 52, of Freeport. Following a rear-end collision, Maize’s vehicle pushed into the rear of a 2020 Chevrolet truck driven by Michael C. Davis, 39, of Elizabeth and occupied by a ten-year-old.

Evans, Davis, and the ten-year-old the juvenile refused medical treatment at the scene. As a result, Maize was transported to Freeport Memorial Hospital in Freeport where he was treated for minor injuries. Following the incident, he was released and the incident is still being investigated.

A further investigation and review of evidence related to the crash, it was determined that Steven R. Maize and his 2017 Ford van failed to reduce their speed to avoid striking the rear of a 2020 Chevrolet truck driven by Michael Davis and occupied by a juvenile passenger while Davis was stopped awaiting traffic to turn onto Glen Hollow. A 2021 Chevrolet Traverse driven by Matt Evans failed to reduce his speed to avoid striking Maize’s rear.

Both are cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident. Maize and Evans are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.