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Illinois Army National Guard member dies in Bureau County crash
By Sharon Wren,
1 days agoAn Illinois Army National Guard member was killed in a single-vehicle accident after supporting a community relations event in Kewanee.
A news release from the Illinois Army National Guard said Spc. Aiden Mrotek, 21, was returning to his home in Carpentersville after helping with Illinois Army National Guard’s community outreach efforts in Kewanee. The Bureau County Sheriff’s Office reported that the vehicle Mrotek was driving struck a bridge guardrail west of Route 40 on 2000 North Avenue, near Manlius, at about 8:48 p.m. on Sunday, September 6, causing fatal injuries.
“He was a dedicated and patriotic man who, at the tender age of 21, had already deployed overseas in support of U.S. military counter-terrorism operations,” said Brig. Gen. Lenny Williams, the Assistant Adjutant General – Army of the Illinois National Guard and the Commander of the Illinois Army National Guard. “He epitomized what it means to be a National Guard Soldier, answering the call in our nation’s defense while also being part of the community in which he served.”
Mrotek joined the Illinois Army National Guard’s 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry Regiment based in Kewanee in May 2023. He deployed to Djibouti, Africa from September 2024 to September 2025 to support U.S. military counter-terrorism operations. He was awarded the Army Achievement Medal, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with M Device, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.
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