Mike Buffington.

The city of Geneva and people throughout Kane County are mourning the loss of Electric Superintendent Mike Buffington, who died in a Thursday car accident in Sugar Grove.

“With the sudden and unexpected loss of our co-worker and friend Mike Buffington, our hearts are heavy, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family,” City Administrator Mary McKittrick said. “We are fortunate to have known and worked with him, and Geneva is a better place because of him. Mike was a gentle leader and one of the smartest people I’ve ever known. His loss will certainly be felt by our entire organization for a long time.”

Buffington was driving a city vehicle heading home from a work-related trip around 9 p.m. June 12 when the two-car accident took place on Route 47 near the exit ramp from Interstate 88, the city of Geneva said.

Buffington’s Ford Taurus and apparently rolled through a stop sign at the top of the Route 47 exit ramp from I-88, where it was struck by a Chevrolet Trailblazer driven by a 46-year-old Sugar Grove woman, according to an article in the Kane County Chronicle. The woman and her two sons, age 12 and 14, were treated for minor injuries and released from Delnor Hospital, according to a CBS2 report.

Sugar Grove Police Chief Patrick Rollins told local media that the crash  investigation is ongoing.

The city of Geneva said Buffington was hired in 2004 as electric superintendent coming from Geneseo, Ill., located east of the Quad Cities. He served as project manager of the Geneva Generation Facility, which came online in 2006. He also served as the president of the Northern Illinois Municipal Power Agency.

“He was described by those in our Public Works Department as being friendly, and always willing to teach people about electricity,” the city’s website says. “Mike was very conscientious about Geneva’s energy sources and power purchase agreements so his managers could maintain the city’s power infrastructure.”