May 18, 2024
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Rockford man rescued after driving pickup into the Rock near Byron

By Jeff Helfrich

A 65-year-old Rockford man who had a medical incident was hospitalized Tuesday after first responders pulled him from his truck, which had driven into the Rock River near Byron shortly before noon.

BYRON – A Rockford man was in stable condition in a Rockford hospital after he drove his pickup into the Rock River shortly before noon Tuesday near Byron.

Ogle County Sheriff’s deputies and the Byron Fire Department were called to the 10900 block of North state Route 2 around 11:40 a.m., where they found Roger Durham, 65, inside and unconscious, in water that was up to the windows. A medical issue caused the accident, Sheriff Brian VanVickle said.

“The vehicle was 30 yards into the river when Byron fire got there,” VanVickle said.

Area first responders are trained for such situations because of the river’s proximity to Route 2.

“There’s a number of spots where that can happen,” VanVickle said. “It has happened in the past. Especially this time of year. when the water is so cold, getting on scene genuinely saves lives, and it’s an example of that. It goes back to training. Today was a result of that.”