On Sunday, January 8th, at 1:42 PM Whiteside County Deputies were dispatched to the intersection of Gaulrapp Road and Elston Road in rural Erie for a single-vehicle crash with injuries.
The initial crash investigation determined that Tyler Naftzger, age 25, of Erie, IL, was operating a UTV (side-by-side) westbound on Gaulrapp Road. At the intersection of Gaulrapp Road and Elston Road, Nafzger lost control of the UTV, left the roadway, and rolled over.
Naftzger sustained potentially life-threatening injuries and was transported by ambulance to Genesis Medical Center in Silvis, IL, and was later airlifted to the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics. Whiteside County Deputies were assisted at the scene by the Erie Police Department, Illinois State Police, Illinois Conservation Police, Erie Fire and EMS, and Todd’s Towing.