I write this with a heavy heart because I have known the victim since high school. Just after 10 PM on Sunday, July 20, 2025, the Kewanee Police Department, with assistance from the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, responded to a vehicle versus pedestrian accident in the 1000 block of West South Street. Officers found Matthew P. Manthe, 51, of Kewanee, critically injured and immediately began life-saving measures. The Kewanee Fire Department took over life-saving measures and transported Manthe to OSF St. Luke Medical Center in Kewanee; Life Flight later transported him to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria, where he later died from his injuries. According to the release, the 17-year-old driver of the vehicle was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.
The case remains under active investigation by local authorities and the Peoria County Coroner’s Office.
