Geneva Teen Killed In Fiery Crash Near St. Charles

GENEVA, IL – A 19-year-old Geneva teen was found dead inside a burning SUV following a single-vehicle crash early Friday near St. Charles. The teen has been identified as Nicholas Hanson of the 3000 block of Husking Peg Lane in Geneva. Hanson was riding as a passenger in a Jeep Grand Cherokee that was heading south on Burr Road when it went off the roadway south of Hawkins Lane in unincorporated St. Charles Township at about 2:15 a.m., according to a news release from the Kane County Sheriff's Office.

The SUV flipped and eventually came to rest in a tree line on the east side of Burr Road, authorities said.

The driver, Raphael Peruzza, 19, of the 2000 block of Eldorado Drive in Geneva, was able to get out of the SUV, which was on fire, before emergency personnel arrived, according to the news release.

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The fire was extinguished and authorities found Hanson dead inside the Jeep, police said. Peruzza was taken to Delnor Hospital with injuries that are not considered life-threatening.

The crash remains under investigation by the sheriff's office and members of the Kane County Accident Reconstruction Team. Detectives have not ruled out that drugs, alcohol or excessive speed played a role in this crash, authorities said.

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