08/13/2026
On June 24th at approximately 12:38 p.m., the Mattoon Police Department responded to the 100 block of S. 32nd St. for a vehicle accident. A vehicle traveling northbound clipped a parked, enclosed trailer, causing the vehicle to overturn onto its side.
Local resident Brian Gillaspie reported that he witnessed another local resident, Ed Greer, climb onto the overturned vehicle and assist the driver out of the vehicle before first responders arrived on scene.
The Mattoon Police Department is proud of citizens who jump into action to assist us or others during times of need. We greatly appreciate Mr. Gillaspie for bringing this information to our attention and, especially, Mr. Greer for taking action to help the driver before emergency responders arrived.
As a small token of our appreciation, MPD presented Mr. Greer with a department challenge coin. Officer Trevor Nicholson is pictured presenting the coin to Mr. Greer.
Thank you, Mr. Greer, for stepping up and helping a fellow member of our community when it mattered most. Your actions are a great example of neighbors helping neighbors! We really enjoyed our conversation!
Cool Side Note: Mr. Greer moved to Mattoon within the last few years, after residing in northern Illinois for most of his life. He had very good things to say about his new hometown - highlighting the friendly residents and the small community atmosphere, where everyone helps each other.
