ROCKFORD, IL — October 17, 2026 The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a two-vehicle collision that occurred early Saturday morning in Rockford and resulted in the death of a 66-year-old man.
Vince Patterson was a passenger in a vehicle traveling through the intersection of Mulford Road and Guilford Road when it was struck by another vehicle around 2:25 a.m. He was transported to a local hospital and pronounced dead at 3:01 a.m. An autopsy conducted by the Winnebago County Coroner’s Office determined the cause of death as blunt trauma to the chest.
The driver of the vehicle carrying Patterson was also injured and taken to a hospital. The driver of the second vehicle, a 23-year-old Rockford resident, sustained injuries as well and was transported for medical treatment. That individual was later arrested and charged with one count of reckless homicide and two counts of aggravated DUI.
