I-74 section near Farmer City named in memory of local state trooper

Posted on September 4, 2018
Gov. Bruce Rauner and Albin’s family attended the formal dedication of the five-mile stretch of Interstate 74. (Illinois Central Management Services)

By Greg Halbleib

FARMER CITY – A section of Interstate 74 near Farmer City has been dedicated to the memory of a state trooper killed in a car crash there last year.

Governor Bruce Rauner and Illinois State Police officers Tuesday named the five-mile stretch of the interstate the Trooper Ryan Albin Memorial Highway. The segment stretches between mileposts 155 and 160.

Trooper Albin was traveling with his canine partner Biko on June 28, 2017 when his vehicle collided with a box truck as they entered a construction zone.

“Our first responders are some of the bravest men and women I know,” Rauner said. “This dedication honoring Trooper Ryan Albin will serve as a reminder of his service to the people of Illinois.”

Albin joined the Illinois State Police in 2006. He was nominated for District 6 Officer of the Year in 2015.

“The family of Illinois State Trooper Ryan M. Albin wishes to thank Illinois Senator Chapin Rose for sponsorship, the Senate, the House of Representatives, and Governor Bruce Rauner for the Resolution dedicating a section of Interstate 74 in his memory,” said Trooper Albin’s parents Robert and Rebecca Albin. “Ryan considered it a privilege to serve his State as an Illinois State Trooper and K-9 officer. We are very grateful for this honor.”

“Ryan joins a long list of brave men and woman who have made the ultimate sacrifice protecting the lives of complete strangers,” stated ISP Director Leo Schmitz. “He was a man that stood for all the values of the Illinois State Police. This dedication will help ensure his memory and legacy live on forever.”

Trooper Albin is the seventh ISP trooper killed in the line of duty since 2001.

Greg Halbleib can be reached at [email protected]. 

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