A tragic accident occurred in Chatham, Illinois, when a driver crashed into an after-school camp, resulting in the deaths of four people, including three young girls and an 18-year-old woman. The driver has been identified as 44-year-old Marianne Akers, who resides in Chatham. Despite the severity of the incident, she has not yet been charged with any crimes as the investigation continues.
The crash happened on a Monday afternoon at the YNOT after-school camp. According to police, Akers drove her SUV into the camp, hitting two 7-year-olds, an 8-year-old, and the 18-year-old victim. Three of the victims were outside when they were struck, while one was inside the building when the vehicle crashed through a wall.
In addition to the fatalities, six other children were injured in the crash, with one being airlifted to a hospital. As of Tuesday morning, one of the hospitalized children remained in critical condition.
Authorities have stated that toxicology reports are pending, but they believe this was not a targeted attack. Akers was the only person in her vehicle at the time and did not sustain any injuries.
The Illinois State Police have confirmed that the investigation is ongoing and have not released further details at this time. Chatham is located about 12 miles south of Springfield, the state capital.
This is a developing story, and updates will be provided as more information becomes available.