Car crashes into after-school camp, killing four people in Illinois
A car crashed into an after-school camp in Illinois, killing four people and injuring several others.
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 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 also 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.”
The crash occurred on April 28 around 3:20 p.m. when a vehicle traveled through a field and smashed 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.
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.