Crime & Safety
Hinsdale Details Latest Crash At Fuller's Car Wash
Did you press the accelerator? "I don't think so," the employee was quoted as saying.
HINSDALE, IL – Monday marks the third anniversary of the death of 14-year-old Sean Richards of Hinsdale.
The teen was walking on a sidewalk from the orthodontist's office to the library on the afternoon of July 17, 2023, when a Fuller's Car Wash employee lost control of a car.
The car hit Richards and ended up crashing into Fontano's Subs, injuring three people inside. Richards died three days later.
Find out what's happening in Hinsdale-Clarendon Hillsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Nearly three weeks ago, on July 1, another crash occurred at Fuller's, 102 W. Chicago Ave.
On Thursday, Patch received the police report on the crash.
Find out what's happening in Hinsdale-Clarendon Hillsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Late afternoon July 1, an employee apparently lost control of a 2018 Ford Expedition and crashed into barriers known as bollards.
The business put up bollards shortly after Richards' death. But the Richards family and others pressured the village to require stronger barriers. The village did so.
According to the report, Fuller's owner, Doug Fuller, took the employee to the hospital, with the worker complaining of head pain from an airbag. He also was reported as suffering scrapes on his right forearm, right hand and left shin.
An officer interviewed the employee in Hinsdale Hospital's emergency room.
The employee said that the car was in neutral when it emerged from the car wash. He said he pressed on the brake and shifted to drive, reporting he felt the brake go all the way down.
The employee denied stepping on the accelerator, but when asked if he could have, he said, "I don't think so," according to the report.
The car accelerated forward and struck the bollards across from the garage door, police said.
The report indicated no tickets were issued.
The car wash has remained closed since the crash.
In the years before Richards' death, a pattern of crashes occurred at Fuller's.
After the latest crash, Brian Richards, Sean Richards' father, said in a text message to Patch, "Thank God that the village – based on our expert's report and testimony at village board meetings – installed the stronger bollards that did stop that truck and saved lives today."
The Richards family has sued Fuller's Car Wash. The business has filed for bankruptcy.
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