Tyson Clark and Kade Knoup Killed, Travis Kaney Injured in Stephenson County Car Accident

Unsafe Premises - September 10, 2026

Tyson Clark, 22, of Pearl City, Died, Kade Knoup, 25, of Pearl City, Died, Travis Kaney, 25, of Freeport, Injured in Stephenson County Crash Involving Loose Cattle on Loran Road

STEPHENSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS (September 10, 2026) – Two men identified as Tyson Clark and Kade Knoup have tragically died and a passenger identified as Travis Kaney was injured in a Stephenson County car accident on Loran Road.

Stephenson County officials are saying that the collision took place in the early morning hours of September 7. Tyson Clark was heading down the roadway in a passenger vehicle with Travis Kaney and Kade Knoup when he was involved in a collision with around 15 loose cattle in the roadway.

The force of the impact caused the Ford sedan to end up in a ditch on the north side of Loran Road. Paramedics were called to the scene of the collision to help all of the victims.

All were transported to a local hospital to receive treatment. Sadly, Tyson Clark died due to the severity of his injuries. Travis Kaney was hospitalized with serious injuries.

Kade Knoup was also hospitalized with injuries that were considered life-threatening. Unfortunately, he also later died at the hospital.

Liability for Illinois Car Accidents Involving Cattle

Property owners in Illinois have a legal obligation to properly confine all of their cattle to prevent them from becoming potential road hazards. This responsibility is laid out explicitly under the Illinois Domestic Animals Running At Large Act. The act prohibits cattle owners from allowing their animals to run at large. An owner that allows their cattle to roam public roadways and become a potential hazard could face civil liability if any person is injured or killed in a car accident involving those animals. Courts will take into consideration numerous factors when evaluating liability for any accident involving loose cattle.

Fences: The condition, design, and maintenance of any fences used to constrain cattle or other livestock will be carefully examined.
History: Any evidence that suggests a history of prior escapes will also be taken into consideration.
Ownership: Another important consideration is who may actually own the livestock or have active control over their whereabouts.
Police Reports: The police report created after the accident will typically be far from exhaustive, but it will contain a number of key pieces of information regarding an officer’s assessment of liability.

When a livestock owner fails to take reasonable measures to confine their animals and allows them onto public roadways, they could face civil liability for any resulting accident. Consider, for example, Raab v. Frank, 2019 IL 124641. In that case, the plaintiff identified as Raab was injured after his vehicle struck a cow that escaped the defendant’s pasture and wandered onto a rural road in Illinois. Attorneys for the plaintiff argued that the defendant failed to use reasonable care to adequately restrain his animals, which is a violation of Illinois’s Animals Running At Large Act.

Preventing and Documenting Motor Vehicle Collisions Involving Livestock

Cattle and other large livestock present a substantial hazard for road users. These animals are involved in many serious car accidents every year. According to one 2004 report by the Centers for Disease Control, there were an estimated 26,647 injuries treated at U.S. emergency departments involving domestic animals. Roughly 85% of those collisions involve larger animals like cows and horses. This is why it is so critical that farms and other businesses that house these animals set up and maintain reasonable barriers and containment policies. Several actions should be taken after any car accident involving cattle.

Photographs: Lots of photographs of all of the fencing and gates surrounding the property where the animals lived should be taken as early as possible.
Surveillance: Any surveillance footage that may have captured the collision should be carefully reviewed to help reconstruct what happened.
Ownership: The owners of the livestock should be identified.
Independent Investigation: Accident victims should request an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collision by a team experienced in negligence claims.

Accidents involving cattle in the roadway are entirely preventable. They tend to be the consequence of farm owners that are not properly maintaining their premises. This can include situations where a property owner fails to get a section of fencing or a gate repaired after they knew that it was damaged. Unfortunately, the same owners will almost never accept responsibility when one of their animals causes a serious collision. This is why it is so important that these incidents are thoroughly investigated by an outside party.

Investigating Illinois Car Accidents Involving Cattle

We at Horwitz, Horwitz & Associates extend our deepest condolences to the families of Tyson Clark and Kade Knoup . It is our sincere hope that Travis Kaney will be able to make a full recovery. This was a preventable tragedy that should’ve never taken place. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to the police. Many important safety questions have yet to be answered. Who is the owner of these cattle? Was that owner adequately maintaining fencing and other restraints to prevent the cattle from escaping?

Do you need more information about a Stephenson County car accident involving loose cattle? Our team of accident investigators is here for you. We are committed to helping people understand their legal rights and holding livestock owners fully accountable for their misconduct that causes serious injury or death. You can rest assured that we will get to the bottom of what happened and identify all of the responsible parties. Whether you just have legal questions or need a free, independent investigation into the unique facts of any accident, we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.