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Daily Mail
03-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Illinois mom-of-two who plowed into after school camp killing three kids and teen breaks her silence
An Illinois mom-of-two whose car plowed into an after-school camp on Monday and killed three kids and a teen is now explaining the tragedy through her lawyer. Marianne Akers, 44, was driving her black Jeep home from work when the car sped off the road and veered through the YNOT Outdoors Summer and After School Camp in Chatham, a village outside of Springfield. The tragedy claimed the lives of four and shocked the community. Now, Akers' lawyer is offering an explanation for the horrific crash. W. Scott Hanken, a criminal justice attorney in Springfield, revealed to local ABC affiliate, WICS News, that Akers suffered a seizure during the crash. Hanken explained that Akers had left work at 3 pm and was traveling westbound when she suffered a seizure 'of some type of degree.' 'It rendered her completely and utterly incapacitated at the time, and as a result of that seizure, she has no recollection of what occurred,' he said. Hanken said that Akers had no history of seizures and wasn't on any medications that would've impaired her driving. 'No one contemplated this happening. She surely didn't. It was a perfect storm of events that, if she could take back she would, just like anyone else,' Hanken told WICS. Akers' lawyer said she was devastated and fully cooperating with law enforcement. The Illinois State Police hasn't yet confirmed the cause of the crash, and a spokesperson told that the investigation is ongoing. Police said that Akers' car left the road at around 3:20 pm and traveled through a field before crashing into the east side of the YNOT After School Camp, which stands for Youth Needing Other Things Outdoors. Akers' Jeep then crossed a gravel road and crashed into a pole and a fence. She was transported to a local hospital but was uninjured and released. Police said on Thursday that an initial toxicology report revealed that she didn't have alcohol or any controlled substances in her system at the time of the crash. Akers was the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle. The four victims were killed on the scene. Police announced that the victims were Kathryn Corley and Alma Buhnerkempe, both seven, Ainsley Grace Johnson, eight, and Rylee Britton, 18. Britton was a high school student who helped run the after-school program. She was planning on studying English and secondary education at Iowa University. Her classmates described her as 'super intelligent' and 'unconditionally nice,' adding that she 'always made people laugh.' Ainsley was a dancer at Studio M Dance Centre. Her dance instructor, Mariah Clark, said she always 'brought so much light and joy into my class.' 'Her smile was so bright, her personality was already so big at such a young age, and she danced like she meant it. I will forever keep Ainsley in my heart,' Clark added. Kathryn went by the nickname Kit Kat and was described in her obituary as 'brightening the lives of everyone she encountered with her loving nature and unforgettable personality.' 'Alma came into this world exactly how she lived – in a burst of activity,' Alma's obituary read. 'From that point on, she never stopped. She lit up our world with an infectious energy, a goofy sense of humor, and a sense of compassion that was boundless.' Two separate vigils were held to honor the victims in the days following the crash. The three children who were killed were students at the Ball-Chatham School District. Britton's father, Zachary Britton, told the crowd at her vigil that seeing the support for his daughter made him smile. 'Our hearts are broken, but this helps a little bit,' USA Today reported. Of the six children hospitalized after the crash, two have been released. Ella Orsi, another seven-year-old at YNOT, is fighting severe injuries. She suffered facial fractures, a broken jaw, damaged teeth, brain swelling and brain bleeding from the crash. Family friend Casey Sitko said that she has been responsive and can squeeze her parents' hands. 'Ella is an absolute joy to be around. She loves to have fun, make jokes, and laugh! Her smile is infectious, and we can't wait to see it again,' she said. A spokesperson for the Illinois State Police Department told that there are no further updates on the case and the investigation remains ongoing. Akers hasn't been charged with any crime. She is a mom of a teenage boy and girl and previously worked in food service at Chatham Elementary School. She now works for the Illinois Department of Transportation's Bureau of Business Services and at the police department. ISP previously clarified that Akers wasn't an officer or investigator with the department.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Yahoo
Driver in fatal after-school camp crash had clean toxicology, Illinois State Police say
Illinois State Police released preliminary toxicology results that showed no drugs or alcohol in the system of a driver who crashed into a central Illinois after-school program, killing four young girls. Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly said Thursday police are still investigating the cause of the crash but found one possible explanation. 'Some evidence has been developed indicating the possibility of a medical emergency leading to the crash,' Kelly said at a Springfield news conference. 'However, the investigation of this information and other evidence has not yet concluded, and we will continue until all leads and research has been exhausted.' Marianne Akers, 44, of Chatham, was the driver and only occupant of a Jeep that on Monday struck a building that housed the YNOT Camp, which stands for Youth Needing Other Things, an after-school camp in Chatham. Those killed were Ainsley Johnson, 8; Kathryn Corley, 7; Alma Buhnerkempe, 7, all of Chatham, and counselor Rylee Britton, 18, of Springfield. All the victims died from blunt force trauma. Six other children were injured at the scene and hospitalized. Two have since been released. Akers was not injured in the crash and was taken to the hospital for evaluation. Kelly said she provided blood and urine specimens at that time. He confirmed that toxicology screenings came back negative for all forms of alcohol including ethanol, isopropanol, methanol, and all substances including benzodiazepine, amphetamines, cocaine, opiates, cannabinoids, and phencyclidine. The news release ISP published Tuesday said the incident did 'not appear to be a targeted attack.' During the news conference Thursday, Kelly confirmed that statement. 'If you think about that terminology, a targeted attack, it implies a certain intent or some specific motive, or a link of some type, a nexus between the person, in this case, the driver, and that location,' he said. 'And there's just no evidence of that that would indicate that this was something intended as some type of mass violence or terrorist attack, or something along those natures. There's absolutely nothing to indicate that whatsoever.' Although he would not confirm how fast Akers' car was traveling at the time of impact, Kelly said her car covered over 1,300 feet 'pre- and post-impact' — information ISP obtained using photography, drones, videos, diagrams and other information when investigating at the scene. Kelly said ISP released Akers' name a day after the accident because it was 'already out there,' and that confirming her name did not provide any information that hadn't already been publicly confirmed. 'We offer our sincere and heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and Chatham community during this difficult time now,' Kelly said before asking reporters gathered at the news conference to observe a moment of silence for the victims and survivors. Chatham schools were closed through Friday.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Lockheed Martin Stock Flew Higher on Friday
An analyst's price target bump was the news pushing shares of storied defense company Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) skyward as the trading week came to an end. The stock ended the day nearly 3% higher, easily topping the less-than-0.6% increase of the bellwether S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) on the day. Well before the market open, Matthew Akers of influential "big four" U.S. bank Wells Fargo raised his price target on Lockheed Martin to $476 per share, up from his previous $468. That wasn't enough to push his recommendation into bull territory, as he maintained his equal weight (read: hold) recommendation on the stock. According to reports, Akers' modification stems from interest in U.S. defense stocks from abroad. While this is currently muted, it should rise once the funding situation for the industry becomes more clear. Currently, through the leadership of the recently created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the Trump administration has made moves to cut staffing and budgets at various federal agencies. These have been met with controversy, and in recent days the president has clearly attempted to impose some restraint on this work. Nevertheless, it has created a level of uncertainty with enterprises that conduct business with the federal government. The defense and aerospace industries are particularly involved in this way, due in no small part to their military contracting. I feel investors are right to be hesitant about the U.S. defense business just now, or really any industry or company that's reliant on the federal government as clients. DOGE's work is far from over, it seems, and at this point it's still somewhat unclear how deep its cuts will be at the various agencies. Ever feel like you missed the boat in buying the most successful stocks? Then you'll want to hear this. On rare occasions, our expert team of analysts issues a 'Double Down' stock recommendation for companies that they think are about to pop. If you're worried you've already missed your chance to invest, now is the best time to buy before it's too late. And the numbers speak for themselves: Nvidia: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2009, you'd have $286,710!* Apple: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2008, you'd have $44,617!* Netflix: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2004, you'd have $488,792!* Right now, we're issuing 'Double Down' alerts for three incredible companies, and there may not be another chance like this anytime soon.*Stock Advisor returns as of March 3, 2025 Wells Fargo is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Eric Volkman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Lockheed Martin. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Why Lockheed Martin Stock Flew Higher on Friday was originally published by The Motley Fool Sign in to access your portfolio
