Siblings Killed In Crash Remembered As Kind, Supportive Friends

KANE COUNTY, IL –Two siblings killed earlier this week when the sports utility vehicle they were riding in collided with a school bus are being remembered as kind and very supportive.

Grace Diewald, 20, and Emil Diewald, 19, both of Campton Hills, died from blunt force injuries and were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, which happened on Empire Road between Burlington Road and Route 47 in unincorporated St. Charles at about 3:45 p.m. Monday, according to the Kane County Coroner's report.

Krystal Nelson, 18, of South Elgin, told the Kane County Chronicle she was calling Grace around the time of the crash to see if she wanted to hang out and was "wondering why she wasn't answering." Grace was a cheerleader who attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison before returning home, and who "was a really hard worker with a lot of goals in life," Nelson said.

"She was always happy, no matter what," she told the newspaper. Her younger brother recently graduated from Central High School. Nelson said he was "a really chill guy," who enjoyed playing video games, skateboarding and "really cared bout everyone in his life." Lauren Head, 19, a 2021 graduate of Central High School, said both Grace and Emil were very sweet and were always there to offer support to their friends.

• READ MORE: 2 Killed In Crash Involving School Bus, Vehicle: Cops

As of Wednesday morning, a GoFundMe set up by Nelson has brought in more than $36,000 to help cover the funeral expenses and unknown future expenses. Grace and Emil were their parents' only children.

On Monday, the siblings were riding as passenger in a 2013 Lexus sports utility vehicle headed east on Empire Road when it collided with the back of a school bus, which was stopping to drop off a student, according to authorities. Grace Diewald was a front-seat passenger and Emil Diewald was a backseat passenger in the SUV.

There were 31 Lily Lake Grade School students on the bus at the time of the crash. No one on the bus was injured in the collision, and Central School District 301 officials say all the bus riders were treated and released to their parents at the scene of the crash.

"We are thankful for our parents' calm, patient and cooperative response as we worked together to release their children from the scene," according to a statement Monday from Central School District 301.

The driver of the SUV, an 18-year-old Elgin man, and a passenger, a 17-year-old South Elgin girl, were taken to Delver Hospital following the crash. The younger teen was later airlifted to a hospital in Chicago for treatment of life-threatening injuries.

On Tuesday, Lake County Sheriff Ron Hain said the younger teen's condition "had not changed." The driver's injuries were not considered life-threatening, authorities said.

School officials were at the scene of the crash Monday. Trauma care will be provided for district students over the next few days, Kane County Sheriff Ronald Hain said.

Police said they are working to determine if speed, distracted driving, or drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash and said Monday night that they have no timeline for wrapping up their investigation. Authorities said they do not plan on announcing any further information until their inquiry into the crash is complete.

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