On a familiar stretch of Illinois Route 23, DeKalb County is giving Deputy Christina Musil a lasting place where she proudly served.

Community members gathered Wednesday at Afton Forest Preserve to dedicate the Deputy Christina Musil Memorial Highway, a tribute rooted in grief and gratitude.

The designated section runs between Perry Road and McGirr Road, turning an everyday drive into a reminder of a fallen sheriff deputy.

Musil, 35, died after a semitruck left Route 23 and struck her squad car from behind late on March 28, 2024.

She was pronounced dead at Kishwaukee Hospital shortly after midnight on March 29.

The driver, Nathan Sweeney of DeKalb, was under the influence of drugs and later pleaded guilty to aggravated DUI causing death.

Sweeney received a 14-year prison sentence.

No roadside marker can undo that loss, especially for the family and colleagues who knew the person behind the badge.

But the dedication makes her name hard to overlook on a road that remains part of daily life for local drivers.

State Sen. Sue Rezin and State Rep. Jeff Keicher sponsored the joint resolution naming the highway, which passed unanimously.

At Wednesday’s ceremony, they joined DeKalb County Sheriff Andy Sullivan in honoring Musil’s service and the sacrifice her death represents.

Family members and fellow officers attended, alongside other state lawmakers, local veterans and a middle school choir.

The gathering brought official recognition together with the quieter, personal weight of a community still carrying this loss.

Speakers urged drivers to remember Musil not only for how she died, but also for her commitment to protecting others.

That message carries a practical edge: Every trip along Route 23 is another chance to choose care behind the wheel.

For DeKalb County, the new signs are more than directions; they are a lasting invitation to say her name.