Latest news with #AinsleyJohnson
Associated Press
7 days ago
- General
- Associated Press
Child hurt in car crash at Illinois after-school camp dies, raising death toll to 5
CHATHAM, Ill. (AP) — An 8-year-old injured when a car barreled through a building used for a popular after-school camp in Illinois this spring has died. Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon posted a news release on his office's Facebook page Tuesday announcing Bradley Lund of Springfield was pronounced dead at 5:52 a.m. Monday. The death toll from the April 28 crash in Chatham now stands at five people, including 8-year-old Ainsley Johnson; 7-year-olds Kathryn Corely and Alma Buhnerkempe, all of Chatham; and 18-year-old Rylee Britton of Springfield. According to state police, a car left a road, crossed a field and smashed into a building that the group Youth Needing Other Things Outdoors was using for the camp. The vehicle traveled through the building and exited the other side. The 44-year-old driver was not hurt. Authorities have said she may have suffered a health emergency but it remains unclear whether she's been arrested, has been taken into custody or has been charged. Asked for an update, Trooper Shafer McKune of the Illinois State Police's public information office emailed a copy of the coroner's news release to The Associated Press along with a one-sentence statement saying that Sangamon County prosecutors will provide an update when they finish a 'thorough review of the investigation.' He did not say when that review would be completed. Chatham is a community of about 15,000 people outside Springfield, the state capital.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Yahoo
Funerals set for girls killed in Chatham tragedy
CHATHAM, Ill. – The Chatham community gathered for the funeral of eight-year-old Ainsley Johnson, one of four girls tragically struck and killed outside an after-school camp earlier this week. Johnson was remembered as a soccer player, dancer and someone who loved music. Rylee Britton, 18, will have her visitation on Monday, with a funeral scheduled for Tuesday. According to sources, Britton planned to attend prom this weekend. Seven-year-old Kathryn Corley, known as 'Kit Kat,' was remembered by her family as an old soul who made the most of her short time. Her funeral is set for next week. Alma Buhnerkempe's family plans to celebrate her life on Mother's Day weekend. Buhnerkempe, 7, was described by her mother as a ray of sunshine who loved soccer. Marianne Akers, 44, was the driver of the vehicle, which traveled 1,300 feet through a field and crashed into a building. Illinois State Police (ISP) reported that blood and urine samples from Akers tested negative for alcohol and other substances. Akers' lawyer stated that she suffered a seizure and is devastated over the accident. Investigations into the crash remain ongoing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
02-05-2025
- CBS News
Funeral for Ainsley Johnson, killed in Chatham, Illinois daycare crash, to be held Friday
First funeral for Chatham, Illinois crash victim to be held Friday First funeral for Chatham, Illinois crash victim to be held Friday First funeral for Chatham, Illinois crash victim to be held Friday The first funeral for one of the four girls killed after a car crashed into an after-school camp in downstate Chatham, Illinois will be held Friday. Family and friends will lay eight-year-old Ainsley Johnson to rest Friday afternoon. She is one of three children and one teenage girl who were killed. In an update Thursday, Illinois State Police said 44-year-old Marianne Akers, who was driving the car that crashed through the building housing YNOT Outdoors Summer and After School Camp on Monday afternoon, was not intoxicated at the time of the incident. They said preliminary toxicology testing found no traces of alcohol or cany controlled substances. State police said they are considering that this could have been the result of a medical emergency. Six others were also hurt, most of whom have since been released from the hospital, including Akers. "Our people and all first responders are tough," said ISP Director Brendan Kelly. "But when a child dies, when children die, it weighs on their hearts and on their minds and their souls." There are no charges pending, but an investigation remains open and active. Ainsley was in second grade at Glenwood Elementary School. She danced at Studio M Dance Center, and played soccer in the SASA Soccer League, her obit read. Ainsley would "often sing along to any song she heard," and would take her dad's AirPods when he was mowing the lawn so she could listen to the music he was enjoying, her obit read. Ainsley also loved art, makeup, swimming, boating, and spending time at a lake—and she always looked forward to family vacations, her obituary said. Classes in the district also returned to in-person learning Friday. The school district said there will be extra counselors and therapy dogs will be available for students and staff.
CBS News
01-05-2025
- CBS News
State police give update on Chatham, Illinois crash that killed 4 at after-school program
Illinois State Police will give an update on a crash in downstate Chatham, Illinois, that killed three children and one teenager at an after-school program earlier this week. Police did not offer any details about what the update would contain. Charges have not yet been filed in the crash. Troopers were called to YNOT Outdoors Summer and After School Camp Monday around 3:20 p.m. when a car plowed into the east side of the building, striking several people outside before driving through it and striking many inside. It eventually broke through the opposite side of the building and came to a stop. Four girls were killed: Ainsley Johnson, 8, of Chatham; Kathryn Corley, 7, of Chatham; Alma Buhnerkempe, 7, of Chatham; and Riley Britton, 18, of Springfield. The driver was identified as 44-year-old Marianne Akers of Chatham, who is a former employee of the Illinois State Police and of the local high school. She was not in custody as of Thursday morning, and police have not said if charges are pending. Akers now works as an office assistant at the Illinois Department of Transportation. Six additional children were injured, and one remained in critical condition as of Tuesday. Officials have not yet given an update on their recovery. Illinois State Police are expected to give their update at 1:30 p.m. Please note: The above video is from a previous report
CBS News
01-05-2025
- CBS News
High school holds vigil for 4 girls hit, killed by car at after-school camp in Chatham, Illinois
Thousands came out Wednesday evening to honor the four girls killed when a car plowed through an after-school camp building in downstate Chatham, Illinois, earlier this week. Friends, family, and supporters filled the stands for the student-organized vigil at Glenwood High School in Chatham, in central Illinois just south of Springfield. State police were called to YNOT Outdoors Summer and After School camp at about 3:20 p.m. Monday when a car crashed into the east side of the building. The car struck several people outside the building before plowing through it, hitting many inside. It eventually broke through the opposite side of the building and came to a stop. Four students were killed. The Sangamon County coroner identified them as Ainsley Johnson, 8, of Chatham; Rylee Britton, 18, of Springfield; Kathryn Corley, 7, of Chatham; and Alma Buhnerkempe, 7, of Chatham. Six additional children were injured. Most were taken to local hospitals by ambulance but one had to be taken by a life flight helicopter. Illinois State Police have identified the driver as 44-year-old Marianne Akers of Chatham, Illinois. State police said she is not currently in custody as their investigation into the crash continues. Akers is a former employee of the Illinois State Police and of the local high school. She is now an office assistant at the Illinois Department of Transportation. It remained unclear late Wednesday what caused the driver to crash. She has not been charged, and toxicology reports are still pending.
