Officials identify 3 children, 1 adult killed in crash at youth program in Illinois
CHATHAM, IL – The three children and one young adult who were killed when a car plowed into a building hosting an after-school program in Illinois have been identified.
The fatal victims of the April 28 crash include Kathryn Corley, 7; Alma Buhnerkempe, 7; Ainsley Johnson, 8; and Rylee Britton, 18, according to Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon. All four were pronounced deceased at the scene as a result of blunt force injuries sustained in the crash, Allmon said.
Authorities identified the driver as 44-year-old Marianne Akers, of Chatham. Illinois State Police said she was not in custody "as the cause of the crash remains under investigation." Officials added that the crash does "not appear to be a targeted attack."
Police say around 3:20 p.m. a vehicle traveled through a field before smashing into the east side of the YNOT After School Camp in Chatham, a village just south of Springfield. The car rammed into the building and struck multiple people before exiting on the other side.
The crash killed four people and injured six children, who were taken to area hospitals. As of April 29, one remains in critical condition.
After the crash, the driver was taken to a hospital for an evaluation. Toxicology reports are pending, according to state police.
'It's not fair': Community mourns 4 killed in crash
Jennifer Walston and her three daughters laid stuffed animals and flowers on the ground outside the youth camp to commemorate two of their friends who were killed in the wreck.
Walston and her daughters described their friends as fun and always full of energy. "They were always dancing. They included everybody. Sweet girls," they said.
Walston told the Springfield State Journal-Register, part of the Paste BN Network, that the programs at YNOT are highly sought after. She described the youth camp as a place where kids and parents in the community can get to know people from other schools in the area.
"The kids love it here and we love it here," she said. "It's just not fair. It's not fair this happened."
'Heart wrenching': Neighbor recalls aftermath of fatal crash
Taylor Godwin, who lives near the camp, said he got up to look out through his back window after hearing several loud "bangs." He saw a jeep crashed into a telephone pole and several people running from the building to the crashed car.
"I went out back around our fence and had seen the aftermath of the building," he said. "The whole back of the building had been blown out."
Godwin and his wife then saw the body of a child.
"I certainly felt helpless in that moment," he said, recalling the scene of arriving ambulances. "There’s nothing that I could do …"
"You never imagine it can happen in your community. It’s a terrible situation to see anybody that’s been killed, especially a child," Godwin said. It’s very heart wrenching. My wife also feels very, very upset."
What is the YNOT After School Camp?
The nonprofit YNOT Outdoors was formed in 2002 as "a way for parents to place their kids into a safe, fun, active and stimulating summer environment," according to its website.
YNOT, acronym for Youth Need Other Things, holds summer camps that plan organized field trips and offer a range of outdoor activities, including fishing, hiking as well as organized field sports.
Staff counselors are generally college students or high school seniors, the camp's website says. Each candidate is interviewed by both the local day director and the executive director, then go through a background check.
The nonprofit hosts events and programs at several locations in Chatham, including the Pawnee Assembly of God Church and Sugar Creek United Methodist Church. The building that was struck on April 29 is where YNOT hosts its after-school programs and summer camps.