By WMBD TV
PONTIAC, Ill. (WMBD) — A 20-year-old baseball player at Lincoln Land Community College is dead after his car went into the Mazon River near Dwight, the Livingston County Coroner said.
Michael T. Roberson of Minooka, was traveling back to college early Wednesday morning when his Honda Civic left the northbound lanes of Old Route 66, crossed through a southbound lane of traffic and went into a ditch on the west side of the road, said Coroner Michael Renner.
The car continued a few hundred feet more along the guardrail and onto the concrete apron which was along the river bank. The car, at some point, flipped and landed in the water. A passerby noticed the vehicle and called 911, Renner said.
Renner said the incident happened south of North 2400 East Road which is near Dwight. That’s about 50 minutes or so northeast of Bloomington.
Roberson was from Minooka, which is a small village that straddles the county lines of Grundy, Kendall, and Will counties. He was a sophomore at Lincoln Land and a catcher on the baseball team.
Troopers with the Illinois State Police were called at about 6 a.m. Wednesday to the scene. It is not clear when the incident happened but Renner said it’s believed to be earlier that morning.
A cause of death and the crash are both under investigation, the coroner said.
In a social media post, the school’s athletic department posted, “Lincoln Land Community College is mourning the death of student-athlete Michael Roberson, of Minooka, who passed away after an automobile accident early today. Our heartfelt condolences go to his family, teammates and friends.”
WMBD TV first reported on this story. The original story can be found online at CIProud.com.
