Stockton, IL – A Jo Daviess County Sheriff’s Deputy was involved in a single-vehicle crash Thursday evening after striking a deer while responding to a report of a missing juvenile.

The incident occurred around 8:54 p.m. on June 25, 2026, on N Canyon Park Road, approximately a half-mile north of E Townsend Road in rural Stockton. The deputy’s southbound squad car collided with the deer, causing it to leave the roadway, enter a culvert, overturn, strike a utility pole, and come to rest on its passenger side.

The deputy was able to exit the vehicle and was examined on scene by Stockton Ambulance. He was later treated at Midwest Medical Center in Galena and released with no other injuries reported.

The Illinois State Police are investigating the crash. Assisting agencies included the Warren Police Department, Apple Canyon Lake Security, Albrecht Towing, and the Stockton Fire Department.

The crash highlights the risks first responders face on rural roads, where deer-vehicle collisions are common, especially at night. No further details on the missing juvenile case were released.