SPRINGFIELD – Gov. Bruce Rauner joined Illinois State Police (ISP) officers today to dedicate a portion of Interstate 74 in memory of a state trooper who was killed in a car crash in the line of duty.
Trooper Ryan Albin was traveling with his canine partner, Biko, on I-74 westbound near Farmer City on June 28, 2017, when his vehicle collided with a box truck as they entered a construction zone.
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“Our first responders are some of the bravest men and women I know,” Rauner said. “This dedication honoring Trooper Ryan Albin will serve as a reminder of his service to the people of Illinois.”
Trooper Albin joined the ISP in 2006 and served in District 6 in Pontiac as a canine officer. He was known for his dedication to his unit and his significant seizures of drugs, weapons and illegal cigarettes and served as a juvenile officer and a Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) trustee. In 2015, he was nominated for District 6 Officer of the Year.
A five mile stretch of I-74 from post 155 to post 160 near Farmer City will be known as the Trooper Ryan Albin Memorial Highway in honor of Albin. His parents and close family and friends were on site for the dedication.
“The family of Illinois State Trooper Ryan M. Albin wishes to thank Illinois Senator Chapin Rose for sponsorship, the Senate, the House of Representatives, and Governor Bruce Rauner for the Resolution dedicating a section of Interstate 74 in his memory,” said Trooper Albin’s parents Robert and Rebecca Albin. “Ryan considered it a privilege to serve his State as an Illinois State Trooper and K-9 officer. We are very grateful for this honor.”
“Ryan joins a long list of brave men and woman who have made the ultimate sacrifice protecting the lives of complete strangers,” stated ISP Director Leo Schmitz. “He was a man that stood for all the values of the Illinois State Police. This dedication will help ensure his memory and legacy live on forever.”
Trooper Albin is the seventh ISP trooper killed in the line of duty since 2001. There have been 98 line of duty deaths across the country in 2018. Twenty-three of those deaths are related crashes and assaults involving motor vehicles.
