CHATHAM, Ill. – Three children and another person were killed after a vehicle crashed into an after-school care building in downstate Chatham, just south of Springfield, on Monday afternoon.<\/p>\n
The crash occurred around 3:20 p.m. at the YNOT building in the 300 block of Breckenridge Road, which houses the after-school camp, according to Illinois State Police.
\nThe vehicle went through the building, killing four people. The victims were two 7-year-olds, an 8-year-old and an 18-year-old, ISP said. Their identities have not yet been released.
\nThree of the victims were outside the building at the time of the crash and a fourth was inside.
\nSix other children were injured in the crash and taken to local hospitals. One was hospitalized via a helicopter and remains in critical condition, police said.
\nThe driver of the vehicle was not injured. Police said toxicology reports are pending.
\nSpringfield fire and police crews were also deployed to the scene to help.
\nChatham Village Trustee Kristen Chiaro posted on her Facebook page that counseling will be available at Glenwod Middle School for all Ball-Chatham School District students and staff starting on Tuesday.
\n"My heart is with the families, loved ones and all affected by the horrific tragedy that struck Chatham today," Chiaro wrote.<\/p>\n
It was unclear exactly why the car crashed into the building. Police said it does not appear to be a targeted attack.<\/p>\n
The Chatham Police Department posted on its Facebook page after the crash.
\n"If you believe in the power of prayer, please take a moment to pray right now for the entire Chatham community. A terrible tragedy has occurred here that has affected all of us."
\nGov. JB Pritzker released a statement in reaction to the tragic crash:
\n"I am horrified and deeply saddened by the deaths of children and numerous injuries in Chatham this afternoon. Our community lost a group of bright and innocent young people with their whole lives ahead of them.
\n"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."<\/p>\n
The incident has sent shockwaves through the community, with many offering their condolences to the families of the victims. The cause of the crash is still under investigation, and the community is coming together to support those affected.<\/p>\n
Q: How many people were killed in the crash?
\nA: Four people were killed, including three children and an 18-year-old.
\nQ: How many people were injured?
\nA: Six other children were injured in the crash and taken to local hospitals.
\nQ: Was the driver injured?
\nA: The driver of the vehicle was not injured.
\nQ: Is counseling available for those affected?
\nA: Yes, counseling will be available at Glenwod Middle School for all Ball-Chatham School District students and staff starting on Tuesday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Introduction to the Tragedy CHATHAM, Ill. – Three children and another person were killed after a vehicle crashed into an after-school care building in downstate Chatham, just south of Springfield, on Monday afternoon. What We Know The crash occurred around 3:20 p.m. at the YNOT building in the 300 block of Breckenridge Road, which houses […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":19603,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-19602","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-crime-reports"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/images.foxtv.com\/static.fox32chicago.com\/www.fox32chicago.com\/content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/1280\/720\/40b99de5-AMBULANCE-GETTY.jpg?ve=1&tl=1&w=1280&resize=1280,720&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19602"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19602"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19602\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19604,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19602\/revisions\/19604"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19603"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19602"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19602"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19602"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}