Illinois State Police Trooper Brooke Jones-Story had her police family, her CrossFit family, the farm animals she rescued — roles in many communities that are already missing her, according to her relatives.
Jones-Story, 34, was killed while conducting a traffic stop Thursday in Freeport, west of Rockford on U.S. Highway 20 near Illinois Route 75, state police said.
She had pulled over a truck and was outside her car about 12:20 p.m., inspecting the truck on the shoulder of the road, when another semitractor-trailer hit her, along with her squad car and the truck she’d stopped, state police said. Both trucks erupted in flames. The driver of the truck that hit Jones-Story was ticketed and taken into custody, and no one else was injured, authorities said.
Two days after her death, Jones-Story’s family released a statement through the state police agency where she worked for 12 years — and where met her husband, Master Sgt. Robert Story, whom she married in 2012 in Galena, Ill. The family described Jones-Story as a strong, service-driven woman who loved her family and friends and was passionate about her work as a trooper.
“It was through that role that she gained her family in blue, met her husband and connected her personal and professional loves,” her family said in the statement Saturday night.
A fan of Disney movies and the Chicago Cubs, she played volleyball in high school and college and had a soft spot for animals, starting a rescue operation, according to her family. In her obituary, her family asked that instead of bringing flowers, people consider donating in her name to the Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue. Police said donations can also be made to her family at the Trooper Jones-Story Memorial Fund through the ISP Heritage Foundation.
“This is a woman who embraced life and loved spending time with her beloved family and friends,” her family said. “A dedicated, courageous, loving and passionate officer and the absolute best person you could meet. Brooke will be sorely missed and is loved and celebrated for a life committed to her family and the service of others.”
Jones-Story was born in March 1985 in Monroe, Wis., to Mark and Carol Jones, who both survive her, according to her obituary, released by Leamon Funeral Homes. She has two living siblings, two stepchildren and a grandchild.
She graduated from Warren High School in 2003 and got a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in 2006, according to her obituary. She joined the Illinois State Police as a cadet in June 2007, then spent her whole career in the same district in Pecatonica, according to the police.
“Throughout her career with the ISP, Trooper Jones-Story was recognized for her hard work, positive attitude, and for being a rising leader among her peers,” police officials said Saturday.
Public visitation will take place from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, with a law enforcement walk-through at 6 p.m., at Warren High School, 311 S. Water St., in Warren, Ill.
A celebration of life has been set for 2 p.m. Wednesday at the high school. Burial will be private.
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