Latest news with #OutdoorsSummerCamp
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
8-Year-Old Dies Following After-School Camp Crash That Took Place Over a Month Ago, Becoming 5th Victim to Die
The Sangamon County coroner confirmed that Bradley Lund, 8, was pronounced dead on June 2 The April 28 crash previously claimed the lives of four people Officials previously identified the other the other victims who died as Kathryn Corley, 7; Alma Buhnerkempe, 7; Ainsley Johnson, 8; and 18-year-old Rylee BrittonAuthorities confirmed that a fifth child has died over a month after a vehicle crashed into an Illinois after-school camp. In a Tuesday, June 3, statement, Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon confirmed that Bradley Lund, 8, of Springfield, was pronounced dead on the morning of Monday, June 2. At the time, Bradley was an inpatient at HSHS St. John's Hospital 'where he was admitted after sustaining multiple blunt force injuries in a motor vehicle vs pedestrian incident at a daycare center in Chatham, on April 28, 2025.' The coroner's office said that Bradley's death continues to be under investigation by the Sangamon County Coroner and the Illinois State Police. The deadly crash took place on April 28 just after 3 p.m. at the YNOT (Youth Needing Other Things) Outdoors Summer Camp. According to authorities, the victims were between 4 to 18 years old. The ISP previously identified the driver as Marianne Akers, 44, of Chatham. Authorities said Akers' car left the road for reasons unknown and traveled through a field and into the east side of the YNOT After School Camp, traveling through the building and hitting many people before exiting the other side. The Sangamon County Coroner's Office previously identified the victims who died in the wreck as Kathryn Corley, 7; Alma Buhnerkempe, 7; Ainsley Johnson, 8; and 18-year-old Rylee Britton. All four were pronounced dead at the scene. "Postmortem procedures done today indicate that they all died from multiple blunt force injuries sustained in the incident," the coroner's office said. In addition to the fatalities, six other children were taken to area hospitals, state police said in a previous statement. The department noted that the crash did not "appear to be a targeted attack.' Akers, the sole driver and occupant of the car, was uninjured and taken to a local hospital for evaluation. Akers' lawyer previously said that she had a seizure and had no memory of the incident. Speaking with Fox affiliate WRSP, Scott Hanken said that Akers has seen a neurologist and granted the ISP permission to view her medical records. 'We have met numerous times with law enforcement,' Hanken said. 'She has provided them with everything they've needed. She immediately provided them with her phone. The Illinois State Police did a forensic download of her phone, and we've clarified any issues that they may have had with that.' Hanken did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment 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. WRSP reported that five of the injured children were released from the hospital and no criminal charges have been filed against Akers so far. Read the original article on People
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
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Yahoo
4 Girls Killed in Illinois After-School Camp Crash Identified as Parents Pay Tribute to 'Sweet, Silly' Daughters
The four girls killed after a vehicle crashed into their after-school camp in Illinois on the afternoon of Monday, April 28, have been identified by authorities The tragedy occurred at the YNOT (Youth Needing Other Things) Outdoors Summer Camp in Chatham Two 7-year-olds, an 8-year-old and an 18-year-old died in the crash, the Sangamon County Coroner's Office said The four victims killed after a vehicle crashed into their after-school camp in Illinois have been identified by authorities. On Monday, April 28, at approximately 3:20 p.m. local time, a vehicle "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, which is located at 301 Breckenridge Road in Chatham, the Illinois State Police (ISP) confirmed in an X post on Tuesday. "The car traveled through the building striking numerous individuals before exiting the other side," police added. The Sangamon County Coroner's Office has since identified the four young girls who died in the tragedy as Rylee Britton, 18, of Springfield; Ainsley Johnson, 8, of Chatham; Alma Buhnerkempe, 7, of Chatham and Kathryn Corley, 7, of Chatham, per a news release shared on Facebook. "The Sangamon County Coroner, Jim Allmon, has identified the four students killed in the motor vehicle versus pedestrian incident in Chatham yesterday. All four girls were pronounced deceased at the scene," Tuesday's post read. "Postmortem procedures done today indicate that they all died from multiple blunt force injuries sustained in the incident," the coroner's office stated, adding, "The deaths remain under investigation by the Sangamon County Coroner, the Illinois State Police and the Chatham Police Department." In Tuesday's X post, the ISP confirmed that "six additional children were taken to area hospitals and one remains in critical condition" following the crash. "The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle was uninjured and transported to an area hospital for evaluation. Toxicology reports are pending. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, but this does not appear to be a targeted attack," police added. In a separate X post, police identified the driver of the vehicle as Marianne Akers, 44, of Chatham. "Akers is not in custody at this time as the cause of the crash remains under investigation," the ISP said on Tuesday. Victim Alma Buhnerkempe's mother, Billie Buhnerkempe, described her daughter as a "ray of sunshine wherever she went" while speaking to NBC News. "She was sweet, outgoing, silly and funny," Buhnerkempe added to the outlet of the 7-year-old. "She loved her friends and family fiercely. She loved playing soccer, basketball and doing gymnastics." Ainsley Johnson's father, Todd Johnson, said his daughter's nickname was "Squirt," per the outlet. "She was larger than life and will forever leave a void in our broken hearts," Johnson told NBC News. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a statement shared on X that he was "horrified and deeply saddened" by the incident in Chatham. "Parents said goodbye to their kids this morning not knowing it would be the last time. My heart is heavy for these families and the unimaginable grief they're experiencing - something that no parent should ever have to endure," his message shared on Monday included. 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. YNOT Outdoors founder Jamie Loftus called the crash an "unforetold tragedy" in a statement released on Tuesday, per NBC News. "I cannot gather the words to express much of anything that will make sense in print," Loftus said, according to the outlet. "However, I do know that our families who suffered loss and injury today are hurting very, very badly. They are friends, and their kids are like our kids." The Illinois State Police and the YNOT Outdoors Summer Camp did not immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information. PEOPLE has also reached out to Billie Buhnerkempe and Todd Johnson. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Yahoo
4 Minors Killed After Car Crashes Into Illinois After-School Camp
Four minors are dead in Chatham, Ill., after a vehicle crashed into their after-school camp on Monday, April 28, authorities said. The incident happened just after 3 p.m. on Monday, April 28, at the YNOT (Youth Needing Other Things) Outdoors Summer Camp, per the Illinois State Police (ISP). According to authorities, the victims were between 4 to 18 years old. "Multiple" people were also injured, authorities said, but did not immediately have a figure. Chatham is located about 12 miles south of Springfield, Ill. 'The vehicle struck multiple people outside of the building before continuing through the building. The vehicle also struck multiple people inside building before exiting through the west wall of the structure," state police said in a statement on X. 'Three individuals were struck outside the building and one inside," the statement continued. "Several additional individuals have been transferred to local area hospitals by ambulance and one by a life flight helicopter." Related: 16-Year–Old Girl Dies from Injuries After Crash Near High School "The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle was uninjured and transported to an area hospital for evaluation," police said. They have not publicly identified the driver. 'My administration is closely monitoring the crash in Chatham,' Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a statement posted to X. 'As we continue to learn more, please follow the guidance of all local authorities.' 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. Pritzker asked those in Chatham to lean on one another for support during this time, writing, 'Let's wrap our arms around the community tonight as we receive updates on the situation.' The Illinois State Police and Chatham Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. This is a developing story. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Yahoo
4 minors dead after vehicle rams into after-school camp in Illinois
Four minors are dead after a vehicle crashed into a building hosting an after-school camp in Chatham, Illinois, officials announced at a press conference on Monday afternoon. They ranged in age from 4 to 18 years old, according to a statement from the Illinois State Police. Multiple others were injured in the incident, which took place shortly after 3 p.m. on Monday. The extent of their injuries is unknown, though several were hospitalized and one was airlifted from the scene of the accident. MORE: At least 11 killed, dozens injured as driver plows into crowd, Vancouver police say The car struck three individuals outside of the YNOT (Youth Needing Other Things) Outdoors Summer Camp, and a fourth person was killed inside, according to Chatham Police Department. "The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle was uninjured and transported to an area hospital for evaluation," the ISP statement said. Police said the driver is considered a suspect, though no charges or arrests have been announced. Their identity has not yet been released. MORE: A self-driving car 'never would've accelerated,' experts say of New Orleans attack Authorities described the situation as chaotic and urged families to use the reunification site to speed up the victim identification process. The ISP is working with the CPD to investigate, they said in a statement on Monday. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. 4 minors dead after vehicle rams into after-school camp in Illinois originally appeared on
