Oak Lawn Mom of Four Dies of Injuries from Memorial Day Crash

Jacqueline Chavez-Ruiz, with her husband, Rogelio "Roger" Ruiz, and children, Rogelio Jr., Jack,, Elena and Sofia P. Ruiz. | Family photo

OAK LAWN, Ill. -- An Oak Lawn woman who was gravely injured in a car accident on Memorial Day has died of her injuries, police said.

Jacqueline L. Chaez-Ruiz, a 34-year-old mother of four, died Sunday at Advocate Christ Medical Center from injuries she suffered after being ejected from a vehicle. Chavez-Ruiz resided in the 9800 block of Moody Avenue.

Oak Lawn police and firefighters responded to a rollover accident with injuries at the intersection of 98th Street and Meade Avenue around 11:18 a.m. May 30.

Police said Chavez-Ruiz was in a vehicle that was traveling traveling eastbound on 98th Street in a 1999 GMC Suburban, when it was struck in the intersection by a 2005 Honda Odyssey.

According to a police news release, the Odyssey was traveling southbound on Meade Avenue. Police said the front seat passenger of the GMC Suburban was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected when the vehicle rolled over on its roof, pinning Chavez-Ruiz under the Suburban.

After firefighters worked to free the woman she was brought to Advocate Christ where she passed away. Police said there is no traffic signal or stop sign at the intersection.

The driver of the Odyssey, Michael A. Wilson, 38, of Burbank, was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid a crash and failure to yield at an intersection. Wilson is to appear in court July 21 in Bridgeview.

This is the second fatal accident to have occurred in a week. On June 3, a 13-year-old boy was struck and killed by a dump truck at 87th Street and Latrobe Avenue in Burbank, on the Oak Lawn-Burbank border.

Friends and family have set up an online GoFundMe campaign to help the Chavez-Ruiz family with funeral costs and other expenses. Chavez-Ruiz, known to friends and family as Jackie, was the mother of four young children, ages 1 to 11.

The young mother was active at Columbus-Manor Elementary School in Oak Lawn, where her children attended school. The following message was posted on the Columbus-Manor Facebook page:

“It is with a heavy heart that we tell you that a fellow parent and friend, Jackie Chavez Ruiz, has passed away. Her absence will be felt throughout the community and Columbus Manor School - her second home … Please keep her husband, Roger, their four kids & her family in your prayers - she will be missed by so many.”

Chavez-Ruiz leaves her husband, Rogelio “Roger” Ruiz; her children, Rogelio Jr., Jack, Elena and Sofia P. Ruiz; her siblings, Nicole Chalupa, James Zerninskas and Dan Zerninskas; and her parents, Lisa (Jerry) Zerinskas and Lucio (Rosa) Ruiz. She was preceded in death by her father, Jack Chavez. She was the fond aunt, niece and cousin of many.

Visitation will be held from 2 to 9 p.m. Thursday, June 9, at Thompson and Kuenster Funeral Home, 5570 W. 95th St., Oak Lawn.

The funeral is at 10:15 a.m. Friday, June 10, from the funeral home to St. Gerald Church, 9310 S. 55th Court, Oak Lawn, for Mass at 11 a.m. Interment will be at Resurrection Cemetery in Justice.

Make a donation to the family of Jackie Chavez-Ruiz.