ELIZABETH, Ill. – A 23-year-old Hanover man, David J. Girgenti, was injured in a single-vehicle accident on May 4, 2025, at approximately 5:04 p.m. on IL Route 84 South, about half a mile north of W. Sawmill Road in rural Elizabeth.

Jo Daviess County Deputies responded to the scene, where they found Girgenti had been driving southbound while using his cell phone. Distracted, he drifted toward the westbound guardrail, overcorrected, and swerved into the northbound lane, striking the east guardrail with the driver’s side door. His vehicle then slid down an embankment, rolled, and came to rest upside down on a cattle fence.

Girgenti climbed out of the vehicle unassisted but was transported by Elizabeth Area Ambulance to Midwest Medical Center for treatment of injuries. The vehicle was towed from the scene. Girgenti faces charges of distracted driving due to electronic communication device use.

The Jo Daviess County Sheriff’s Office, assisted by Hanover Police Department, Elizabeth EMS, and Elizabeth Fire, is continuing to investigate the incident.