Tilton and Vermilion County residents lined along the escort route Friday morning as former Tilton Police Chief Steven A. Cornett was returned home, after losing his life early Wednesday morning in a road worker – vehicle collision in Champaign County. The accident occurred around 3:30 AM Wednesday; when Cornett, while moving barriers in a closed I-74 lane between Prospect Avenue and I-57, was struck by a passing vehicle.
Cornett was pronounced deceased at 4:45 AM Wednesday, and a 29-year-old driver from Tennessee was arrested the following day, facing one charge of reckless homicide. Friday morning’s escort route began in Urbana, and returned Cornett’s body to Kruger Funeral Home in Tilton.
