Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed In Crash That Killed 5 At IL After-School Camp

“This building — where it was built, how it was built — was uniquely vulnerable to a tragedy like this,” attorney Lance Northcutt said.

By Anna Schier, Patch Staff

Apr 22, 2026 3:52 pm CDT | Updated Apr 22, 2026 7:24 pm CDT

Damage is visible at the scene after a car barreled through a building used for an after-school camp, April 29, 2025, in Chatham, Ill. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley, File)

CHATHAM, IL — The families of four young children and a teen who were killed about a year ago when a vehicle plowed through a building that housed an after-school camp in central Illinois have filed a wrongful death lawsuit, attorneys announced Wednesday.

The lawsuit argues the structure that was hit, which was occupied by the YNOT After School Camp in Chatham, was built in violation of safety codes when it was constructed in 2012 because it was within 100 feet of a highway, according to a news release announcing the lawsuit.

“This building — where it was built, how it was built — was uniquely vulnerable to a tragedy like this,” attorney Lance Northcutt said at a news conference about the lawsuit Wednesday that was streamed over Zoom, noting the structure lacked protective barriers that could have stopped the forward momentum of the vehicle.

The collision occurred on April 28, 2025, when 44-year-old Marianne Akers’ vehicle left the road, traveling 1,300 feet through a field before crashing into the building, crossing a gravel road and coming to rest against a pole and fence, officials have said.

Those killed include 8-year-old Bradley Lund, 8-year-old Ainsley Johnson, 7-year-old Kathryn Corley, 7-year-old Alma Buhnerkempe and 18-year-old Rylee Britton. Six other children required care at hospitals for their injuries.

Akers suffered a seizure at the time of the crash, was not intoxicated and was not charged in connection with the incident, NPR Illinois reported in October.

The lawsuit was brought on behalf of all five of those killed as well as four surviving children, according to the news release, which said YNOT and Akers are among the defendants. The village of Chatham is listed as a respondent. The families are seeking accountability and safety improvements to prevent a similar incident, the news release said.

YNOT and the village of Chatham did not immediately respond Wednesday to emails seeking comment. Akers' former attorney, W. Scott Hanken, had no comment other than to clarify that his representation was limited to the now-concluded criminal investigation of the crash.