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Daily Mail
04-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Car-crash driver had seizure before plowing into camp and killing four young people, lawyer says
An Illinois woman whose car killed four young people after it plowed into an after-school camp had suffered a seizure, her lawyer says. The crash on Monday killed three children and a teenager when the black Jeep veered off the road near Springfield, Illinois. Marianne Akers, 44, was driving home from work at about 3pm when she suffered a seizure that left her 'utterly incapacitated,' attorney W Scott Hanken said. Hanken, a criminal justice attorney in Springfield, revealed to local ABC affiliate, WICS News, that Akers suffered a seizure before her vehicle sped off the road and veered through the YNOT Outdoors Summer and After School Camp in Chatham, a village outside of Springfield. Hanken explained that the mother of two 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 have 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
Following After-School Crash That Killed 4, Driver's Lawyer Speaks Out and Calls It 'Freak Occurrence' from Seizure
Marianne Akers, the driver in the crash at an after-school camp in Illinois that killed four people, had a seizure, said her lawyer, W. Scott Hanken The woman has no memory of the 'freak occurrence" and is devastated, he added Meanwhile, the Chatham community continues to mourn the loss of four young girls as others recover The lawyer of the woman who drove through an after-school camp building in Illinois, killing four and injuring six others, says she experienced a seizure and has no memory of the incident. Speaking with ABC affiliate WICS, lawyer W. Scott Hanken said Marianne Akers, 44, left work at 3 p.m. local time on Monday, April 28, when she experienced a medical emergency while driving her Jeep Wrangler Akers in Chatham. 'She was westbound on Walnut when at 3:20, she suffered what has now been diagnosed and confirmed as a seizure of some type of degree,' Hanken said. 'It rendered her completely and utterly incapacitated at the time and as a result of that seizure, she has no recollection of what occurred.' Akers did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. The crash occurred after Akers' Jeep "left the road for unknown reasons, traveled through a field and into the east side" of the YNOT (Youth Needing Other Things) Outdoors Summer Camp in Chatham, police said. Related: Parents Claim 4-Year-Old Was Limp When They Picked Her Up from School. They Were Shocked by Reported Toxicology Results The vehicle traveled through the building, striking numerous individuals before crashing through the other side, police added. Killed in the crash were Rylee Britton, 18, of Springfield; Ainsley Johnson, 8, of Chatham; Alma Buhnerkempe, 7, of Chatham and Kathryn Corley, 7, of Chatham. Akers, who has not been charged with a crime, is devastated, Hanken told the outlet. He described the tragic accident as a 'freak occurrence." 'No one contemplated this happening. She surely didn't,' Hanken told the outlet. 'It was a perfect storm of events that you know if she could go back in time and change [it] she would, just like anyone else.' He said that Akers had no history of seizures or any symptoms to indicate a medical issue before the crash. The woman was not on medication that would have affected her ability to drive, WICS reported. She has cooperated fully with law enforcement, Hanken said. Related: After Her 6-Year-Old Vanished from Their Yard, Mom Screamed When She Was Found Inside Barrel Nearby (Exclusive) The lawyer's insight is in line with what Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly said during a news conference on Thursday, May 1. Immediately following the crash, Akers was taken to the hospital, where she provided blood and urine samples, and then was released, Kelly said. Initial toxicology results show she tested negative for alcohol or controlled substances, including benzodiazepines, amphetamines, cocaine, opiates, cannabinoids and phencyclidine (PCP). "Some evidence has been developed indicating the possibility of a medical emergency leading up to the crash, however, this investigation of this information and other evidence has not yet concluded and will continue," he said of the investigation, which is ongoing. "All evidence will be submitted to the Sangamon County State's Attorney for a determination of what charges, if any, are appropriate under the law," Kelly said. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. In the wake of the accident, the town of Chatham is still reeling. Hundreds gathered for a vigil to honor the four victims who died, including an officer who spoke about the emotional toll of responding to the crash. 'After being at the scene of the crash, it was incredibly hard,' Chatham police officer David Leach told the crowd gathered at Glenwood High School on Wednesday, April 29. 'I went home and hugged my wife and children and just bawled. I cried my eyes out. The tears have continued to come in waves every day since, and they come without warning.' Read the original article on People
