Four children between the ages of 4 and 18 died on Monday when a car plowed to a building that housed an extra -curricular program in the city of Chatham in the center of Illinois, according to state police.
Illinois State Police said they were called in the open summer and after the school camp, in 301 Breckenridge RD. In Chatham, after a vehicle crashed on the east side of the building at 15.20
The car hit several people outside the building before plowing it directly, hitting many people inside, according to state police. The vehicle left the wall on the opposite side of the building.
According to police, several injured people were transferred to local hospitals by an ambulance and one by a vital flight helicopter.
Police help the driver did not be injured in the fall, but was transferred to a hospital for evaluation.
Illinois Governor, JB Pritzker, said that his administration is supervising the situation closely.
“As we continue to learn more, follow the orientation of all local authorities,” Pritzker wrote in a publication in X. “We surround our arms for the community tonight as we receive updates on the situation.”
The Senator of the State of Illinois, Doris Turner (D-SPRingfield), who represents the area, issued a statement:
“When we leave our children in the morning, we should always have the highest belief that they will return home safely at the end of the day. For some families, this belief has been shaken today after the tragedy in Ynot in Chatham.
“I am bewildered; there really is no words to explain what the Chatham community feels and will feel for days, weeks and months coming. I want to thank the first ones who respond, the application of the law and the volunteers. My office and I are ready to help in any way we can. I have been in contact with the local authorities and I will transmit relevant information as it is available.”
The Ombudsman of Chatham Village, Kristen Chiaro, published on Facebook that the Baptist Church of Chatham would be the reunification point for families with children in the center. Near the scene, traffic was closed on Walnut Street between Park Street and Gordon Drive.
Chatham is about 12 kilometers south of Springfield in the county of Sangamon. It should not be confused with the Chatham district of the south side of Chicago.
The incident investigation continued on Monday night.
