Stephen Mack Middle School Student Wins $52M, The Rockton School Bus Crash That Made Winnebago County Legal History

A sixth-grade girl from Rockton who was thrown 100 feet into a ditch after a car plowed through an active school bus stop sign in January 2025 has received a $52 million settlement — the largest settlement with an injured pedestrian in Winnebago County history. The family of the Stephen Mack Middle School student accepted the settlement, which Winnebago County Court records confirm was reached with insurance companies representing the Helm Group Inc., Civil Constructors Inc., and driver Allen Pelton. Pelton still faces criminal charges and has pleaded not guilty.

Field	Detail
Victim	Sixth-grade girl, Stephen Mack Middle School, Rockton, IL
Incident Date	January 2025
Settlement Amount	$52,000,000
Settlement Status	Accepted — Winnebago County Court records confirmed
Historic Significance	Largest injured pedestrian settlement in Winnebago County history
Defendants	Allen Pelton, Helm Group Inc., Civil Constructors Inc., First Student Inc., Rockton School District
Settling Defendants	Helm Group Inc., Civil Constructors Inc., Allen Pelton (via insurance)
Plaintiff Attorneys	Michael Viglione and Philip Ryan — Ryan, Ryan & Viglione, Waukegan
Criminal Case Status	Pelton pleaded not guilty — next court date May 14

What Happened on Latham Road on That January 2025 Morning

At approximately 6:55 a.m. on a largely rural stretch of Latham Road near the intersection with La Harve Drive — northwest of Machesney Park and south of Rockton — a sixth-grade girl waited in her driveway for her school bus.

The bus had activated its red flashing lights and extended its stop arm. The bus driver then signaled to the girl that it was safe to cross the street to board. As she stepped off the curb, Allen Pelton — driving a 2015 Chevrolet Cruze westbound on Latham Road — struck her.

She was thrown 100 feet into a ditch and suffered severe and permanent injuries, spending months in intensive care, according to the lawsuit. The stop arm was fully deployed. The red lights were active. There was no mechanical failure, no missing signage, and no ambiguity about whether the bus was stopped and loading a child.

Who Was Named in the Lawsuit — and Who Settled

The girl’s attorneys filed suit against five defendants, each carrying a different piece of legal responsibility for what happened that morning.

Allen Pelton, 31, of unincorporated Winnebago County was driving on behalf of the Helm Group Inc. and Civil Constructors Inc. when he passed the stopped school bus. As their employee or contractor on the road at the time, both companies carried potential liability for his actions.

First Student Inc. — the private bus company contracted to provide transportation services for the Rockton School District — and the Rockton School District itself were also named as defendants in the lawsuit.

The $52 million settlement was reached with insurance companies representing the Helm Group, Civil Constructors, and Pelton. The lawsuit’s resolution against First Student Inc. and the Rockton School District has not been separately confirmed in available court records at the time of publication.

Related article: $700M Equifax Data Breach Settlement, Claim Deadlines Are Closed Here’s What You Can Still Get for Free in 2026

Allen Pelton’s Criminal Charges — A Separate Case Still Playing Out

The civil settlement is resolved. The criminal case against Pelton is not.

Winnebago County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested Pelton and charged him with aggravated reckless driving causing great bodily harm, passing a stopped school bus while it was loading or unloading, failure to stop, and driving with a tinted front windshield.

Pelton entered a not guilty plea. His next court appearance is scheduled for May 14. His Rockford attorney, Paul Vella, confirmed the plea but declined to comment on the pending case — noting he did not represent Pelton in the civil lawsuit.

The criminal outcome will be decided separately and has no direct bearing on the civil settlement the family has already accepted. A not guilty plea means the criminal case proceeds to future hearings — it is not an acquittal.

Why $52 Million — and What It Reflects About the Injuries

The Chicago Daily Law Bulletin reported this as the highest settlement with an injured pedestrian in Winnebago County history. That figure reflects the severity of what a $52 million settlement is designed to cover in a case involving a child with permanent injuries.

Personal injury settlements of this size in child pedestrian cases typically account for a lifetime of medical care, long-term rehabilitation, lost future earning capacity, permanent disability, and pain and suffering. The girl was a sixth-grader at the time of the crash — meaning decades of life affected by injuries sustained before she turned 13.

The settlement comes through insurance — not directly out of the pocket of the Helm Group, Civil Constructors, or Pelton individually. The size of the payout reflects both the severity of the injuries and the policy limits available across multiple defendants and their carriers.

Key Dates in the Rockton School Bus Crash Case

Milestone	Date
Crash on Latham Road, Rockton	January 2025
Allen Pelton arrested and charged	January 2025
Civil lawsuit filed against five defendants	TBD (2025)
$52 million settlement accepted by family	March 2026
Settlement confirmed in Winnebago County Court records	March 27, 2026
Pelton criminal case — next court date	May 14, 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Allen Pelton and what charges does he face?

 Allen Pelton, 31, of unincorporated Winnebago County was driving a 2015 Chevrolet Cruze when he passed a stopped school bus that had its red lights and stop arm activated. He was charged with aggravated reckless driving causing great bodily harm, passing a stopped school bus while loading or unloading, failure to stop, and driving with a tinted front windshield. He has pleaded not guilty. His next court date is May 14, 2026.

Does the $52 million civil settlement affect the criminal case against Pelton? 

No. The civil settlement and the criminal prosecution are entirely separate legal proceedings. The family accepting the settlement does not end the criminal case. Pelton still faces criminal charges, and the outcome of those proceedings will be determined independently by the court.

Why were the Helm Group and Civil Constructors named in the lawsuit? 

Pelton was driving on behalf of the Helm Group Inc. and Civil Constructors Inc. at the time of the crash. When an employee or contracted worker causes harm while carrying out work duties, the employer or contracting company can carry shared legal liability — a principle known in civil law as vicarious liability. Both companies’ insurance carriers ultimately funded the $52 million settlement.

Why was First Student Inc. — the bus company — also a defendant?

 First Student Inc. was the private bus company contracted to provide transportation for the Rockton School District. The lawsuit named them as a defendant, potentially due to questions around the bus driver’s actions or school district transportation protocols. Their settlement status has not been separately confirmed in available records.

Is this settlement the largest of its kind in Illinois? 

The Chicago Daily Law Bulletin confirmed it as the largest settlement with an injured pedestrian in Winnebago County history. Whether it ranks among the largest statewide in Illinois for a child pedestrian injury has not been independently confirmed at the time of publication.

What happens to the settlement money? 

Because the victim is a minor, settlement funds in Illinois are typically placed in a structured arrangement overseen by the court — often a structured settlement annuity or a court-supervised trust — to ensure the money is available and managed appropriately throughout her lifetime. The specific financial structure of this settlement has not been publicly disclosed.

Sources & References

• Rockford Register Star original reporting (March 27, 2026): rrstar.com/story/news/accident/2026/03/27/rockton-student-receives-52m-settlement/89347416007
• Winnebago County Circuit Court records — civil case docket (confirmed via Rockford Register Star)
• Chicago Daily Law Bulletin — confirmed record settlement designation

Last Updated: March 28, 2026

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Legal claims and outcomes depend on specific facts and applicable law. For advice regarding a particular situation, consult a qualified attorney.