Geneva Electric Superintendent Killed, 3 Others Hurt In Sugar Grove Crash
(STMW) -- Geneva's electric superintendent was killed and three other people were injured in a crash in west suburban Sugar Grove Thursday night.
Mike Buffington was driving a city vehicle home from a work-related trip about 9 p.m. when the two-car crash occurred on Route 47 near the Interstate 88 exit ramp, according to a statement from the City of Geneva.
Buffington, 60, was driving a Ford Taurus that was exiting the interstate when its driver's side door was struck by a Chevy Trailblazer travelling southbound on Route 47, according to a statement from Sugar Grove police.
Police said the Taurus apparently failed to stop at a stop sign at the end of the ramp before driving into the road and trying to turn left into the northbound lanes.
Buffington was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
The driver of the Trailblazer, a 46-year-old woman, and her two sons, ages 12 and 14, were taken to Delnor Hospital in Geneva, where they were treated for minor injuries and released, police said.
"With the sudden and unexpected loss of our co-worker and friend Mike Buffington, our hearts are heavy, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family," Geneva City Administrator Mary McKittrick said in the statement. "We are fortunate to have known him, and Geneva is a better place because of him."
Buffington was hired as the city's electric superintendent in 2004 and served as project manager for the Geneva Generation Facility, the city said. He also served as president of the Northern Illinois Municipal Power Agency.
Service details were not immediately known Friday night.
The city plans to make a leadership announcement about the public works electric division next week, according to the statement.
The crash remains under investigation by Sugar Grove police and the Kane County Accident Reconstruction Team. Anybody with information about the crash is asked to call (630) 466-4526.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2014. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
