Mount Carroll community looking for answers after 18-year-old found dead in roadway

MOUNT CARROLL, Ill. (KWQC) - The community of Mount Carroll is looking for answers after an 18-year-old was found dead in the roadway early Sunday morning.

The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office said they got a call at 3:33 a.m. about a man in the roadway on Illinois Route 78, just north of downtown Mount Carroll and south of Lowden Road.

Later that morning, the Sheriff’s office referred the case to Illinois State Police, who are now leading the investigation.

Illinois State Police has since identified the 18-year-old as 2024 West Carroll High School graduate Jackson Kradle of Mount Carroll.

His friend said he was interested in cars and even talked about starting a car shop one day with him just hours before he died.

And now the community is coming to grips with the tragic news, including one of Kradle’s former teachers Kim Falk, who learned about his death from her son, one of Kradle’s best friends.

“Are you sure, this could be a rumor...this can’t be true...you were just with him,” Falk said. “A lot of shock and disbelief. Of course, when somebody loses their life this young, it’s really hard to wrap your head around.”

While the community looks for answers as to what happened to Jackson on Route 78 Saturday night, they are also reflecting on the memories they have of him.

“Just this gentle, sweet, happy to go with the flow kind of kid that had some big dreams that won’t be fulfilled now,” Falk said. “And so I hope that’s how we can remember Jackson.”

State police said they are in the early stages of their investigation and have no further details to provide at this time.

Anyone with information about what happened to Kradle is asked to contact Special Agent Matt Kipping at 815-632-4010.