An Illinois crash at an after-school camp on Monday, April 28, left four people dead and six injured. The identities of the victims have now been revealed, with the youngest of them being two seven-year-olds. For reasons unknown, an individual rode her vehicle through a field and into the after-school camp building, striking all victims both outside and inside.
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According to the
Sangamon County Coroner's Office, all four victims died of "multiple blunt force injuries sustained in the incident." Kathryn Corley, 7, Alma Buhnerkempe, 7, Ainsley Johnson, 8, and Rylee Britton, 18, all died after being struck on April 28. Six additional children were injured as well.According to the Illinois State Police (ISP), the incident took place at around 3:20 p.m. on Monday. For reasons yet to be determined, an unidentified person drove through a field after exiting the road and into the YNOT After School Camp located at 301 Breckenridge Road in Chatham.
Outside the building, the vehicle struck three of the fatal victims. The vehicle, however, did not stop and continued through the building and exited at the other side. Inside, the vehicle struck and killed the fourth victim. The driver, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle, was uninjured but was transported to a local hospital for evaluation.
In an update shared on Tuesday, April 29, the driver was identified as 44-year-old Marianne Akers. As per ISP, Akers is currently not in custody and has not been charged in connection with the incident. The cause of the Illinois crash and the crash itself remain under investigation. Furthermore, ISP previously reported that toxicology reports on Akers are still pending.
Families Mourn
The victims' families now have to struggle with the immense loss of their loved ones.
Billie Buhnerkempe, Alma's mother, told NBC News that the seven-year-old was a "ray of sunshine where she went."
"She was sweet, outgoing, silly and funny," Billie added, saying that Alma loved her friends and family "fiercely."
Todd Johnson, Ainsley's father, distraught by his daughter's passing, talked lovingly about her.
"She was larger than life and will forever leave a void in our broken hearts," Todd said.
YNOT Outdoors founder Jamie Loftus also talked with NBC News, devastated by the incident, urging parents to pray for the victims' families and to keep them in their thoughts.
"I cannot gather the words to express much of anything that will make sense in print," Loftus said. "However, I do know that our families who suffered loss and injury today are hurting very, very badly. They are friends, and their kids are like our kids."
