WI Correction Officer, 22, Fatally Struck While Walking Along Highway

GRANT COUNTY, WI — Friends, family, and the broader law enforcement community are mourning the loss of Grant County Correctional Officer Dylan Bellamy.

Bellamy, 22, of Benton, Wisconsin died Saturday after being struck by a vehicle while walking along a highway near Mattoon, Illinois.

In addition to his law enforcement duties, Bellamy served in the Army National Guard and was in Illinois for a weekend training with his unit based in Mattoon.

"Dylan was a bright young man with a great future at the Sheriff’s Office," Grant County Sheriff Craig Reukauf said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time."

Bellamy was walking along Illinois 16 near the Interstate 57 cloverleaf just before midnight on Saturday.

A car driven by a 35-year-old man, with two young girls as passengers, struck him, the Monroe Times reported.

No one in the vehicle was injured, and the crash remains under investigation.

Bellamy began his law enforcement career as a dispatcher in Coles County, Illinois before joining the Grant County Sheriff’s Office in December 2023.

To support Grant County Sheriff’s Office staff, Reukauf activated the department’s Peer Support Team, and a grief counselor is available for additional services.