RICHLAND CO., Ill.—Authorities have confirmed that the man who was found deceased on a rural Richland County, Illinois, road yesterday is a former sheriff of this county.
Richland County Sheriff Andy Hires has advised that Bob Foerster, 67, sheriff of Richland County from 1998-2006, was delivering newspapers for the Olney Daily Mail on snow-covered roads in a rural part of the county around 3 p.m. yesterday, Monday, January 6, 2014, when a local resident on North Blueberry Lane observed Foerster’s truck drive into a snowdrift, just south of the intersection of North Blueberry south of Ebenezer Lane. The location is south and east of Claremont, and due east of Calhoun, in the east-central part of Richland County.
The resident immediately went out to assist with the truck, and Foerster exited the vehicle, whereupon he was viewed to be in distress, and collapsed in the snow. The resident called for emergency assistance and began life-saving efforts for Foerster while waiting for a response.
Hires said there were deputies in that area of the county responding to a fire, and they were able to get to the location quickly, despite the icy road conditions, after receiving a call at 3:05.
Foerster was transported to Richland Memorial Hospital by ambulance but was pronounced dead at 4:13 p.m.
There were members of Foerster’s family out of area had not been notified as of the post last night, and so his name was withheld until their notification. Arrangements are pending, as Hires said there will be an autopsy done to determine cause of death.
Map of the location of the incident (centered); those familiar with the area will know that this is south and east of Claremont, and several miles southeast of Olney.