Death Of County Board Member in Wreck Near Wilmington: Coroner

WILMINGTON — Grundy County Coroner John Callahan’s Office, along with the Will County Sheriff’s Office, announced that they are investigating a traffic crash that claimed the life of a 48-year-old Morris man. The single-vehicle crash occurred on Sunday around 7:30 a.m. on Lorenzo Road, just east of Will Road.

Will County Chief Deputy Sheriff Dan Jungles said that Caleb Counterman lost control of his vehicle on a patch of ice, causing his vehicle to go off Lorenzo Road and roll over several times. Counterman, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from his vehicle, Jungles said.

According to his Grundy County bio, Caleb Counterman was a Republican Board member for District 3. A county board member since 2020, Counterman wrote, "I have been a resident of Grundy County since 2007 when I became the Pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Goose Lake. I have a wonderful wife who grew up near Dwight and two sons who have gone through Coal City schools. My heart is to serve the people of the County to the best of my ability."

On Sunday, Dec. 1, Counterman delivered the sermon to the congregation in Channahon at the SouthField Church. Counterman's sermon was titled, "Keeping Your Container Clean, Encountering the Epistles."

A week later, Wilmington Fire Protection District Paramedics rushed Counterman to the Morris Hospital Emergency Department, where he was pronounced dead at 8:32 a.m.

Jungles told Joliet Patch that Counterman's 46-year-old female passenger suffered minor injuries during the crash. She was taken to Morris Hospital for treatment.

The traffic fatality remains under investigation by the Grundy County Coroner’s Office and the Sheriff's Office.