Search
Press "Enter" to search and "ESC" to close.
Inicio » English » The Latest » Wrong-way crash in Illinois kills a mother, 5 children and the other driver

Wrong-way crash in Illinois kills a mother, 5 children and the other driver

Suscríbete a Nuestro Boletín
Recibe por email las noticias más destacadas
  • Wrong-way crash in Illinois leads to tragedy for three families.
  • Authorities confirm a mother and her four children are among the fatalities.
  • Jennifer Fernandez, who was driving the wrong way, was also killed in the collision.

A painful tragedy shocks the community. A mother, her four young children and one of the kids’ friends were among seven people who died in a horrific crash in Illinois over the weekend. The seventh fatality was the other driver, Jennifer Fernández.

The family’s Chevrolet truck, in which 31-year-old Lauren Dobosz, her four children, her husband and one of the children’s friends were traveling, was hit head-on by an Acura TSX traveling in the opposite direction. The accident occurred in a rural area in Riley, outside of Chicago, around 2:00 a.m. Sunday according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

A mother and five children among the seven killed in Illinois crash

A mother and five children among the seven killed in the crash in Illinois

The powerful impact caused both vehicles to catch fire instantly, killing Lauren Dobosz and the five children. The sole occupant of the Acura TSX, later identified by authorities as 22-year-old Jennifer Fernandez, was also killed in the dramatic crash, according to the New York Post.

Lauren Dobosz’s husband, Thomas, was airlifted to a hospital, where he remains in critical condition. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, his wife was a cheerleading coach for a youth soccer team on Chicago’s northwest side.

Fundraiser for family killed in dramatic Illinois crash

Fundraise for family killed in dramatic Illinois crash

A fundraising campaign by the shocked team had raised more than $12,000 for relatives of the family by Monday afternoon, the Post reported. «Lauren always made a great impression on everyone she met, she was full of life, laughter, and always a good time,» the campaign message outlined.

«We’re going to miss you Lauren and your spunky, sweet, sassy kids and ever so loved friend,» the statement added. The deceased Dobosz children were a 5-year-old girl, a 6-year-old boy, a 7-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl,  according to ABC7 Chicago. The other victim was a friend of the eldest Dobosz, who was also 13 years old.

Who was the wrong-way driver?

Who was the driver going in the opposite direction?

According to the Daily Mail, Illinois State Police said Jennifer Fernandez, 22, of Carpentersville, was driving the 2010 Acura TSX the wrong way on I-90 for «unknown reasons» when she collided with the Chevrolet pickup truck driven by 32-year-old Thomas Dobosz.

Jennifer Fernandez was found dead at the scene, state troopers said, along with all the passengers in the van. Thomas Dobosz was the sole survivor of the crash and remains hospitalized at Loyola University Medical Center, the Daily Mail reported.

Saved from tragedy

He was saved from the tragedy

Alan Wiedmeyer, an Illinois resident, told the Daily Mail that he was on his way to a fishing tournament when, around 2:00 a.m., he was nearly hit head-on by a car that had made a sudden U-turn on I-90 ahead of him. “It headed straight for me as I was in the middle lane, and luckily I was able to swerve out of the way before it hit me,” he said. He added that he flashed his lights, but the car kept going. «The cars behind me also swerved just in time.»

The witness said he received text messages 10 to 15 minutes later from other tournament attendees alerting him that I-90 was closed after two vehicles collided and caught fire. “Immediately my mind went to the car that was going in the wrong direction,” he said.

Etiquetas: ,
Related post
Regresar al Inicio