Kendall County Sheriff's Deputy Dies in Motorcycle Crash

A Kendall County Sheriff’s deputy died Thursday morning in a motorcycle crash near Somonauk.

Brandon Riemenschneider, 31, had been a deputy with the department for four years. He served as a firefighter/paramedic with the Oswego Fire Protection District and the Bristol-Kendall and Sandwich fire departments.  He was a resident of Sandwich.

“He was a bright, young, energetic guy doing his best to serve the public,” said Bristol-Kendall Fire Chief Michael Hitzemann.

Hitzemann said Riemenschneider’s urge to enter public service was driven by a long family tradition. About 10 members of the Riemenschneider family have served the Bristol-Kendall department, including his great-grandfather, Robert, who was on the original Yorkville Fire Department.

Riemenschneider also worked from 2003-07 with the OFPD. Battalion Chief Josh Flanders rode on an ambulance with Riemenschneider for two years.

“Everybody here is just in shock and disbelief,” Flanders said. “He did nothing in his life but serve the public. He was just great.”

Riemenschneider left the OFPD in 2007 for a job with the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office. According to a news release from the sheriff's office Friday morning, Riemenschneider was assigned to patrol duties and had received commendations for his service.

"In 2011, Brandon received a lifesaving award for his actions in a traffic crash that occurred in 2010," the release said. "Brandon responded to the scene of a crash and removed an unresponsive male from a smoking vehicle. The male survived the crash."

Thursday's crash is under investigation by the Somonauk Police Department and Illinois State Police.