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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.
30-04-2025
Illinois town mourns the 4 youngsters killed when a car barreled through their after-school camp
CHATHAM, Ill. -- Residents of a small central Illinois city on Tuesday mourned the loss of three children and a teenager killed in a startling crash in which a car barreled through a building used for a popular after-school camp. Authorities said it didn't appear to be a targeted attack. The car on Monday left a road, crossed a field and smashed into the side of the building in Chatham used by Youth Needing Other Things Outdoors, also known as YNOT, according to Illinois State Police. It traveled through the building, striking people before exiting the other side. Six children were also hospitalized, including one left in critical condition. The Sangamon County coroner identified those killed as 18-year-old Rylee Britton of Springfield and three Chatham children: Ainsley Johnson, 8, and Kathryn Corley and Alma Buhnerkempe, both 7. On Tuesday evening, with red ribbons tied in bows lining Main Street, hundreds of people gathered for a vigil in the town square, where heart-shaped boards bore the names of the four who died. Dozens of people signed messages to each. 'You were a great counselor,' 9-year-old Coralie Glessner wrote on the heart for Britton. Coralie, who has participated in YNOT's program in the past, said she liked that Britton played four square with her. Asked for a memory of her, Coralie said, 'Greeting me when I got off the bus' each day at YNOT. Faith leaders spoke as attendees held lit candles. Lutheran Charities brought support animals, and the American Red Cross provided 'water, snacks and tissues,' organizer Miriam Snider said. Sam McCurdy, 19, drove home Tuesday from the University of Missouri in Columbia to be with his sister, a close friend of Britton's. His sister, Britton and other friends had planned to attend prom together this weekend. 'I wanted to be here for her, and for the community, to show support,' McCurdy said. 'So many plans, so many futures, and so much grieving for something that shouldn't have happened.' People in the community of about 15,000, located in what was once an open prairie outside the Illinois capital of Springfield, have also been grieving and consoling each other in other ways. 'People are coping by finding ways to be with each other, to provide comfort and support to those who are suffering,' Snider said. Churches held prayer services, city leaders ordered flags to be flown at half-staff and schools held classes online. An ice cream shop offered free scoops and a community meeting place. Some locals changed their Facebook profile pictures to red ribbons with the motto 'Chatham Strong.' 'This is just devastating," said Jennifer Walston, 43, as she and her daughters left flowers and a stuffed animal at the crash site. Plywood covered the hole where the car crashed into the building. She said her daughters knew Alma and Ainsley, remembering them as energetic girls who tried to include others. 'They were sweet girls,' Walston said. The studio where Ainsley and two others hurt in the crash took dance canceled classes Tuesday. Teachers at Studio M Dance Centre remembered the 8-year-old in a Facebook post as a 'sweet and sassy' dancer and tumbler who 'will be deeply missed every single day.' Earlier in the day, hundreds packed Cherry Hills Church. Most wore red, the color of Glenwood High School, where Britton was a senior. Pastor Steve Patzia told the crowd that he saw her in church on Easter Sunday as he offered words of comfort. 'It's good and right to feel how you feel, when you feel how you feel. I've had moments of grief and sadness. I've cried, and I've also had memories,' he said. 'I would encourage you to share those good memories you have of her and the children that were lost as well.' Parents said the YNOT Outdoors after-school and summer camp programs, which employ high school and college students as counselors, are coveted and competitive to get into. In social media posts, families recalled fond summer memories at the location which focuses on outdoor activities. Walston's daughters attended the summer camp and said they knew Alma and Ainsley, remembering them as energetic girls who tried to include others. 'They were sweet girls,' Walston said. Jamie Loftus, founder of YNOT Outdoors, said security camera footage showed a vehicle left the road 'a substantial distance' away and sped across the field toward the building. The car then crossed a road, the sidewalk and YNOT's parking lot before crashing through the building 'with no apparent attempt to alter its direction,' Loftus said. The vehicle then crossed a gravel road and crashed into a pole and fence. 'I cannot gather the words to express much of anything that will make sense in print," Loftus said in a social media post about the victims on Monday. 'They are friends and their kids are like our kids.' Jacob Rabin, 19, who attended YNOT as a child, said the 3:20 p.m. crash happened at the worst possible time. 'They would have just gotten off the buses' at YNOT, Rabin said. 'There would have been the peak amount of people there at that time.' The driver, a 44-year-old Chatham woman, wasn't injured but was taken to a hospital for evaluation. Police said toxicology reports were pending. She was not in custody on Tuesday. State police declined to offer further details, saying the crash remains under investigation. 'This does not appear to be a targeted attack,' state police said. Officials in the Ball-Chatham School District, where the four victims attended schools, said classes would be online through Thursday. 'As we mourn this unimaginable loss, we recognize the pain and grief that many are experiencing,' Superintendent Becca Lamon and Chatham Village President Dave Kimsey said in a joint statement. 'We are all hurting.' The deadly crash comes days after a car plowed through a crowded street during a Filipino heritage festival in Canada, killing 11 people. Similar vehicle ramming events have taken place worldwide.
Boston Globe
29-04-2025
- Boston Globe
Police say driver likely did not target after-school camp in Illinois crash that killed 3 kids and 1 teen
The driver, who was not injured, was taken to a hospital for evaluation and police said toxicology reports were pending. The driver, a 44-year-old woman, was not in custody on Tuesday morning. State police declined to offer further details about the driver, saying the crash remains under investigation. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'This does not appear to be a targeted attack,' state police said in a statement. Advertisement The deadly crash comes days after a car plowed through a crowded street during a Filipino heritage festival in Vancouver, British Columbia, killing 11 people. Similar vehicle ramming events have taken place worldwide in recent years, some inspired by extremist politics or blamed on mental illness. As Illinois investigators pieced together evidence from the crash site, residents in the close-knit community of about 15,000 mourned. Several prayer services were scheduled for Tuesday and a middle school offered counseling. Chatham is about 12 miles (19 kilometers) from the state capital of Springfield. Advertisement Parents said the Youth Needing Other Things Outdoors after-school and summer camp programs are highly coveted, offering a space where students from different elementary schools get to know each other. Jennifer Walston, 43, and her three daughters left flowers and a stuffed animal at the crash site Tuesday. The large hole in the side of the building where the car entered was boarded over with plywood and an area behind the building was cordoned off with yellow tape. Walston's daughters attend the group's summer camp and said they knew two girls who died in the crash. Authorities have not released the victims' names. 'They see each other in the community. This is just devastating,' she said. Jamie Loftus, founder of YNOT Outdoors, said security camera footage showed a vehicle that left the road 'a substantial distance' away and sped across the field toward the building. The car then crossed a road, the sidewalk and YNOT's parking lot before crashing through the building 'with no apparent attempt to alter its direction,' Loftus said. After passing through the building, the vehicle crossed a gravel road and crashed into a power pole and ballfield fence. 'I cannot gather the words to express much of anything that will make sense in print. However, I do know that our families who suffered loss and injury today, are hurting very, very badly,' Loftus said in a social media post on Monday. 'They are friends and their kids are like our kids.' Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said his office was monitoring the situation and was ready to lend support. 'I am horrified and deeply saddened by the deaths of children and numerous injuries in Chatham this afternoon,' Pritzker said in a statement Monday. 'My heart is heavy for these families and the unimaginable grief they're experiencing – something that no parent should ever have to endure.' Advertisement Chatham Police Department asked for prayers. 'A terrible tragedy has occurred here that has affected all of us,' the department said in a Facebook post. By Monday night, some members of the community and beyond had changed their Facebook profile photos to an image of a red ribbon and the words 'Chatham Strong.'
Indian Express
29-04-2025
- Indian Express
Authorities believe crash through Illinois after-school building that killed 4 wasn't targeted
A crash through an after-school building in a small city outside of Springfield, Illinois, that killed three children and a teenager and left several others injured isn't believed to be a targeted attack, authorities said Tuesday. The car left the road for unknown reasons, traveled through a field and into the side of the building in Chatham on Monday afternoon, Illinois State Police said in a statement. It traveled through the building, striking numerous people before exiting the other side. Police said two 7-year-olds, an 8-year-old and an 18-year-old were killed. Six more children were taken to hospitals and one remains in critical condition. The driver, who was not injured, was taken to a hospital for evaluation and police said toxicology reports were pending. Police haven't said if the driver was arrested or taken into custody. The cause was under investigation, but police said the crash doesn't appear to be a targeted attack. Monday's crash was the latest instance of people driving vehicles into groups of people across the globe. Only two days earlier, a car plowed through a crowded street during a Filipino heritage festival in Vancouver, British Columbia, killing struck building and facilities in Illinois house Youth Needing Other Things Outdoors, which holds after-school programs and summer camps, according to its website. 'I am horrified and deeply saddened by the deaths of children and numerous injuries in Chatham this afternoon,' Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement Monday. 'My heart is heavy for these families and the unimaginable grief they're experiencing – something that no parent should ever have to endure.'He said his office was monitoring the situation and was ready to lend support. As evening fell Monday, police cars with lights flashing still blocked streets leading to the building. On its Facebook account, the Chatham Police Department asked for prayers.'A terrible tragedy has occurred here that has affected all of us,' the message ended. By Monday night, some members of the community and beyond had changed their Facebook profile photos to an image of a red ribbon and the words 'Chatham Strong.'
San Francisco Chronicle
29-04-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
Authorities believe crash through Illinois after-school building that killed 4 wasn't targeted
CHATHAM, Ill. (AP) — Authorities said Tuesday they believe a crash through an Illinois after-school building that killed three kids and one teenager wasn't targeted. A car traveled through a field, then smashed through a building in a small city of Chatham outside Springfield, Illinois, on Monday afternoon. In an update Tuesday morning, police said two 7-year-olds, an 8-year-old and an 18-year-old were killed. Six more children were taken to hospitals and one remains in critical condition. The Illinois driver, who was not injured, was taken to a hospital for evaluation and police said toxicology reports were pending. Police haven't said if the driver was arrested or taken into custody. The cause was under investigation, but police said the crash doesn't appear to be a targeted attack. Monday's crash was the latest instance of people driving vehicles into groups of people across the globe. Only two days earlier, a car plowed through a crowded street during a Filipino heritage festival in Vancouver, British Columbia, killing 11. The struck building and facilities in Illinois house Youth Needing Other Things Outdoors, which holds after-school programs and summer camps, according to its website. 'I am horrified and deeply saddened by the deaths of children and numerous injuries in Chatham this afternoon,' Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement Monday. 'My heart is heavy for these families and the unimaginable grief they're experiencing – something that no parent should ever have to endure.' As evening fell Monday, police cars with lights flashing still blocked streets leading to the building. On its Facebook account, the Chatham Police Department asked for prayers. 'A terrible tragedy has occurred here that has affected all of us,' the message ended. By Monday night, some members of the community and beyond had changed their Facebook profile photos to an image of a red ribbon and the words 'Chatham Strong.'
