CHATHAM (Capitol News Illinois) — As a central Illinois community mourns the deaths of three children and a teen counselor killed Monday when a vehicle crashed into the building that housed their after-school program, it has rallied around survivors.
Ainsley Johnson, 8; Kathryn Corley, 7; Alma Buhnerkempe, 7, all of Chatham, and counselor Rylee Britton, 18, of Springfield, died from blunt force trauma in the accident.
“As we mourn this unimaginable loss, we recognize the pain and grief that many are experiencing,” Becca Lamon, superintendent for the Ball Chatham School District wrote on the district’s webpage. “We are all hurting. We understand that yesterday’s tragedy was difficult to comprehend and process. In times like these it is important that we lean on one another for strength and support.”
Police said a black Jeep driven by Marianne Akers, of Chatham, left the road for unknown reason and traveled through a field, crossed a street and a parking lot then hit the east side of a building that housed YNOT Outdoors, which stands for Youth Needing Other Things, an after-school camp in Chatham.
The car drove through the building, striking several children and workers, before it exited the other side, went across a basketball court and hit a pole near the town’s water tower. Children were in a gym area when the Jeep went through the building.
Illinois State Police continue to investigate the cause of the crash but said it was not a targeted attack. ISP confirmed Wednesday that there is surveillance video of the crash.
Akers was not injured but was taken to a local hospital for evaluation on Monday afternoon. No charges have been filed as of Wednesday.
Six children were hospitalized after the crash. Two have been released, according to Illinois State Police, while four remain hospitalized. A GoFundMe account was established for 7-year-old Ella Orsi, who was injured in the crash, to help with medical costs.
Ella sustained facial fractures, a broken jaw, damaged teeth, brain swelling and brain bleeding and is in the pediatric intensive care unit, according to Casey Sitko, who posted on the fundraising site.
“At this time, plastic surgery/surgeries will be required, but it appears as though any brain surgery will be avoided. She is intubated and medicated so she can rest and recover,” Sitko wrote.
Ella has been responsive and communicating by squeezing her parents’ hands, according to the latest update by Sitko.
The Glenwood High School Student Council raised more than $150,000 to help with funeral costs, according to the fundraising site.
Chatham has a population of around 15,000 people and is 12 miles from the Capitol in Springfield. Due to the village’s proximity to Springfield, a large number of state employees live in Chatham, located south on Interstate 55.
Akers, of Chatham, is herself a state employee. She is an office associate in the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Business Services. She formerly served as an office associate at the Illinois State Police but resigned in 2018 after a 12-year tenure.
Under Illinois law, a driver has a duty to report a medical condition that could cause loss of consciousness or any other loss of ability to safely operate a motor vehicle within 10 days of the driver becoming aware of the condition.
The Illinois Secretary of State stated it could not comment on whether Akers has previously filed a medical report as that is confidential information.
Chatham Schools canceled school through Friday.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the village rallied to show support for the families that were affected. The mayor of Chatham ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff. Residents made T-shirts displaying the slogan “We Are Chatham Strong” and gave the proceeds to the families.
Red, the school color, was seen throughout the village. Ribbons adorned trees and light poles. Red signs were planted in front lawns. Locals wore red shirts throughout the day and at the vigils.
Chatham Police Department posted a video of a candlelight vigil held for the victims on Tuesday, and another vigil was scheduled for Wednesday night.
Community members shared several Facebook posts urging residents to donate blood. By Tuesday morning, all of the time slots were booked until Friday.
Counselors provided free therapy and counseling for children and parents. A local nursery provided free childcare for parents needing “time for self-care.” Families organized to make or provide meals for families of children who attended the after-school program.
Some local bars and restaurants donated a portion of their sales to families impacted by the crash. Others offered free meals to first responders, impacted families, and locals who donated blood.
During lunchtime on Wednesday, a real estate firm rented a local trampoline park for four hours, allowing children from the Chatham School District to play during that time for free.
A Chatham ice cream shop hosted an event for children with a school counselor and therapy dog. The children were encouraged to write messages on the sidewalk outside in chalk to those who were killed and injured.
On Tuesday, a neighboring intermediate school observed a moment of silence for Chatham School District’s loss, as their students wore red to show their support.
Glenwood athletes planned to meet at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Community Park to play games with younger children from the village.
A Linktree page was made for locals to house all additional links for other information, fundraisers, events, and community resources for Chatham residents.
By Beth Hundsdorfer and Jade Aubrey
Capitol News Illinois
news@capitolnewsillinois.com
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
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