Missing Man Found Dead In Ditch Identified

PRAIRIE GROVE, IL — A missing man found dead in a ditch along Route 176 has been identified as Jon Surch, 57, of Crystal Lake.

Surch's body was found in the 4300 block of Route 176 of Prairie Grove on Saturday morning. An autopsy will be performed on Tuesday, according to the coroner's office.

Michael Goins, police chief for the Prairie Grove Police Department, told Shaw Local in an email that police initially responded to the area along Route 176 at about 7 a.m. after a driver reported seeing a man "down on the side of the roadway."

• Active Police Investigation Near Routes 31, 176 Prompts Roadway Shutdown

The sheriff's office shut down a portion of Route 176 Saturday morning amid the police probe into the man's death. The roadway was reopened later on Saturday morning.

Authorities said there is no threat to the community, and the cause of the man's death remains under investigation.