A portion of Illinois Route 267 will soon be renamed the “Officer Scott Fitzgerald Memorial Highway,” thanks to legislation passed on May 31 by State Sen. Sam McCann (R-Plainview).
“Abraham Lincoln once said that, ‘A nation that does not honor its heroes will not long endure.’ Officer Fitzgerald is a hero to us all,” said Sen. McCann. “He made the ultimate sacrifice for all of us, giving his life in the service of his fellow man.”
South Jacksonville Police Officer Scott Fitzgerald died in the line of duty in March of 2016 while responding to a medical call near Nortonville Road. He had previously served with the Scott County Sheriff, and Winchester and Bluffs police offices. Officer Fitzgerald also served as a volunteer firefighter with the Murrayville Fire District, and had recently been selected as a member of the Special Response Team in Morgan County.
House Joint Resolution 138 renames Illinois Route 267 from I-72 to Nortonville Rd. in honor of Fitzgerald.