Fatal Crash Near Elmhurst Explained

ELMHURST, IL – Maria Cerritos was with her 14-year-old daughter driving west on Roosevelt Road in early April when she came upon a crash.

An ambulance driver had apparently crashed on an icy patch, striking a concrete barrier and blocking most of the road. It was about 7 a.m. April 9 on Roosevelt, near Interstate 294, just south of the Elmhurst city limit.

Cerritos, a 34-year-old Hillside resident, braked and came to a stop, authorities said. Then another car hit hers, and that car struck the ambulance.

Cerritos got out to inspect the damage and call her husband, police said. Yet another car, driven by a 25-year-old man, lost control and hit Cerritos. She was taken to Elmhurst Hospital and was pronounced dead within the hour.

On Wednesday, Patch obtained the police report from the DuPage County Sheriff's Office through a public records request. In May, the office told Patch it would release the report when it was done.

The 22-year-old ambulance driver was with Elite Ambulance. She said she was driving west when she lost control and struck the concrete barrier on the right shoulder, according to the report.

Soon after, the out-of-service ambulance was struck by a 19-year-old man's car. Two other cars were also stopped.

The 19-year-old told officers he saw Cerritos and her daughter outside their car. He then saw the 25-year-old driver hit Cerritos, the report said.

The 25-year-old, who was driving a Dodge Durango, was cited on a charge of failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, the Sheriff's Office said.

It was unclear why the ambulance driver did not receive a citation. Patch asked the Sheriff's Office why that was the case.