The Knox County Coroner is naming the two people killed in a wrong way crash this past weekend in Knox County. Curtis Vannier of Moline and Kelsey Barksdale of Davenport, Iowa died following the accident early Sunday. State police say the victims were riding a motorcycle early Sunday on I-74 when they were hit near Route 150 by a vehicle being driven the wrong-way. The driver of the vehicle, Brian Boyer, was charged with Reckless Homicide and Aggravated Driving Under the Influence Involving Death.
***Courtesy of Total Traffic News***
Illinois State Police (ISP) Troop 4 arrested 19-year-old Brian Boyer of Monmouth, IL, following a deadly crash on Interstate 74.
On August 30, 2026, at approximately 2:10 a.m., ISP Troopers responded to a crash on I-74 westbound near US-150 in Knoxville, IL. A Chevrolet Malibu was driving the wrong way on I-74 (eastbound in the westbound lanes) when it struck a motorcycle that was traveling westbound. The driver and passenger of the motorcycle were pronounced deceased on scene. The driver of the Chevrolet, Brian Boyer, was transported to an area hospital with injuries.
On August 31, 2026, ISP presented the case to the Knox County State’s Attorney’s Office, which approved two counts of Reckless Homicide (Class 3 Felony) and two counts of Aggravated Driving Under the Influence Involving Death (Class 2 Felony). Boyer was released from the hospital and taken into custody pending his first court appearance.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐚𝐰.
***Courtesy of the Illinois State Police Troop 4 Facebook Page***
