Beecher Tragedy: 'It Sounded Like An Explosion'

JOLIET, IL — Back on July 24, 2017, Will County Jail inmate Norberto Navarro was picking tomatoes as a farm laborer when he saw Lindsey Schmidt's green Subaru van approach the rural intersection of Corning Road and Yates Avenue. The 29-year-old Beecher woman put her left arm out the window, waving hello to Navarro.

It was around 8:35 a.m. Schmidt was driving her three small children, all boys, to their summer Bible camp. She was also pregnant with her fourth child. Suddenly, Navarro saw Sean Woulfe's gray truck speeding along Corning Road.

"I'd say around 80 miles an hour," Navarro testified Wednesday morning in Will County Judge Daniel Rippy's courtroom during the first day of testimony in Woulfe's criminal trial. Woulfe is charged with 16 counts of reckless homicide by Will County State's Attorney Jim Glasgow.

Will County prosecutor Adam Capelli asked his witness what happened next.

"It was so loud. It sounded like an explosion," Navarro testified.

The impact "pushed her into a field of soybeans," Navarro said of Schmidt's Subaru van.

Prosecutors say Woulfe must be held criminally responsible for causing the deaths of Schmidt, her unborn child, and her three sons, Owen, Weston and Kaleb.

"The evidence will show Lindsey never knew ... and she never made it to Bible camp that morning," prosecutor Jeff Tuminello told jurors during opening statements. "The Chevy S-10 ran the stop sign at a high rate of speed. Our evidence will show the defendant was driving at a high rate of speed ... there are witnesses that all saw and heard what happened that morning. Lindsey and Kaleb, they died nearly immediately on scene.

"Owen and Weston were severely injured ... they succumbed to their injuries and died hours later."

Tuminello reminded the jurors that "we have to prove the defendant was reckless. We ask you to use common sense as you look at the evidence in this case. Lindsey should be alive today, and she should be the mother of four children, but she is not because of the actions of the defendant."

After the crash, the prosecution's first witness, Navarro, testified he ran to Woulfe's truck.

"I heard Mr. Woulfe saying, 'Help, help.'"

Woulfe's windshield shattered and the front end of his truck was smashed.

"He was dazed and confused. He was asking, 'What happened? What happened?'" Navarro testified.

Navarro then ran into the soybean field, where the green Subaru van had rolled over.

"The mom? She was hanging toward the passenger's side," Navarro told jurors. "She had her eyes wide open. I checked for a pulse. It was pretty messed up. Even if you tried to get out of it, you wouldn't be able."

Schmidt and two of her sons were unconscious and unresponsive, but one of her sons, strapped into the middle of the backseat, was alert and crying, Navarro told the jury.

Navarro told the crying boy, strapped into his car seat, to be calm and help was on the way.

Navarro said that Woulfe eventually got out of his truck while waiting for the ambulances and the Will County Sheriff's deputies to arrive.

"He never once asked if the family was OK," Navarro testified.

During Wednesday's trial, Tuminello and Capelli told the jury that Navarro had worked at the farm in rural Beecher for about five years.

In 2019, two years after the tragedy, Navarro was arrested in Texas on federal drug conspiracy charges because Navarro had imported more than 500 grams of cocaine into the U.S.

Navarro has finished serving his sentence for his drug offense and was being detained in the Will County Jail by immigration enforcement officials.

Prosecutors said that Navarro is expected to receive a U-Visa, which is similar to a green card, and he will be released from custody "today or tomorrow."

Will County Jail records show that Navarro, following his trial testimony, was freed from detention at 11:23 a.m. on Wednesday.

As for the reckless homicide trial in Courtroom 402, Capelli and Tuminello are prosecuting the Beecher tragedy. Woulfe is represented by Joliet criminal defense attorney George Lenard.

"This case is not a reckless homicide case," Lenard told jurors during opening statements. "This is a very emotional case. This is an extremely emotional case."

Lenard told jurors that there will be no trial testimony from prosecutors suggesting that his client was using prescription drugs at the time of the fatal crash. No testimony alleging Woulfe was using illegal drugs. No testimony saying Woulfe was under the influence of alcohol.

"He wasn't using his phone, he wasn't texting, he wasn't talking to anybody on the phone," Lenard told jurors. "I ask you to keep an open mind. The State will not able to sustain their burden of proof for each charge."

Woulfe's trial is expected to last several days.

Previous Joliet Patch coverage:

Beecher Tragedy: Sean Woulfe's Trial Gets Underway 5 Years Later

Man Drove 75 MPH When He Killed Beecher Family: Glasgow

How To Help The Schmidt Family After Tragic Crash Claims Lives Of Mother, Sons

Third Child Dies After Crash That Killed Pregnant Mom, Toddlers