Police Urge Caution After Spike In Fatal Crashes

CHICAGO AREA, IL — Authorities are reminding area drivers to take steps to keep area roadways safe following several serious crashes, including fatalities.

Among the collisions claiming lives since late month include a wrong-way crash on Interstate 90 in Marengo, which resulted in a family of six and two other people involved in the crash dying; a two-vehicle crash near St. Charles that claimed the life of 19-year-old Kevin White; and a three-vehicle rollover crash in Lake in the Hills that killed Riely J. Teuerle, 17, on Aug. 2.

• Recent St. Charles North Grad, Baseball Player Remembered By Teammates
• Probe Continues Into Crash That Killed 8 On Interstate 90
• Jacobs Senior Killed In Crash Remembered As 'Devoted' Friend, Son

In the past 10 days, the Kane County Sheriff's Office responded to four serious traffic crashes — with three people killed in the collisions, authorities said Wednesday. The Kane County Sheriff's Office has stepped up efforts to try and keep area roads safe, conducting 1,535 traffic stops and handing out 604 citations and 931 written warnings.

"However, we cannot keep our roadways safe alone. We need the public’s aid in providing safer travel in Kane as we all travel to and from our destinations," said Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain in a statement Wednesday. "We urge drivers of all ages to remember that when they get behind the wheel or in the vehicle with a friend, co-worker, or a family member, to engage in safe practices."

Among the steps everyone should remember to take when behind the wheel is to not drive while impaired, be sure to buckle up and secure your children in proper safety restraints and adhere to speed limits, police said.

"The devastation not only within the past 10 days, but also throughout the years has weighed heavily on the Kane County Sheriff’s Office while responding to these crashes," Hain said. "The Kane County Sheriff’s Office will continue to enhance our efforts and partnerships in our campaign for safer roadways."

Hain said the collisions have been happening in several areas throughout the county in recent weeks. The sheriff's office is working to identify "geographical areas most impacted by these incidents," with plans to up enforcement efforts in trouble spots.

Lake County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Christopher Covelli said there hasn't been a steep increase for his office. Since July 15, the sheriff's office has responded to 456 traffic crashes in rural, unincorporated areas throughout the county. Two people were killed and 78 people were injured in those collisions, he said.

• Coroner IDs Man Killed In Route 41 Crash
• 1 Dead After SUV Crashes Into Tree In Yard Near Antioch

But there were more crashes that happened within incorporated municipalities in Lake County, including a hit-and-run collision in Waukegan on July 31 that killed a 14-year-old girl who was riding her bike and a mother who died after her car collided with a semi-truck in Zion.

• 'This Was All So Sudden': Coroners IDs Teen Killed In Waukegan Hit-And-Run
• Coroner IDs Mother Killed In Crash With Semi In Zion

In McHenry County, Illinois State Police and the McHenry County Coroner's Office are continuing to investigate the cause of a collision on I-90 near Marengo that killed a family of six as well as a friend of the family.

The crash happened at about 2:10 a.m. on July 31 when a car traveling east in the westbound lanes of traffic on I-90 hit a van, which was headed west on I-90. The driver of the car, Jennifer Fernandez, 22, of Carpentersville, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Those inside the van killed in the crash included the driver, Thomas Dobosz, 32; his wife, Lauren Dobosz, 31; their children, Emma, 13, Lucas, 7, Nicholas, 6, and Ella, 5; and a family friend, Katriona Koziara, 13. The van was on its way to a camping trip, according to a GiveSendGo fundraiser set up to help pay for the memorial expenses for Koziara.

Last week the Illinois State Police had few new details to share regarding the crash.

"Toxicology results are still pending with the McHenry County Coroner’s Office. Those results will typically take several weeks to receive," trooper Josh Robinson, a public information officer for the Illinois State Police, told Patch in an email response last week. "No further information is available, and the investigation is ongoing."

Last week, the McHenry County Coroner's Office also had no new details to share as they continued to investigate the collision and would not share details surrounding the preliminary results from autopsies from all those killed in the collision.

• Probe Continues Into Crash That Killed 8 On Interstate 90

Two other people were killed in crashes near Marengo in recent weeks, including the driver of a sports utility vehicle that collided head-on with a semi on Route 23, and a motorcyclist in a two-vehicle collision on Route 176 at Franklinville Road.

• 1 Killed In Fiery, Head-On Crash Near Marengo
• Coroner IDs Man Killed In Motorcycle Crash Near Marengo

Among the collisions are three — one that occurred out of state — that claimed the lives of teens. Those include:

• Riley J. Teuerle, 17, of Lake in the Hills, was killed in a three-vehicle rollover crash that happened at about 10:05 p.m. on Aug. 2 on Rakow Road between McHenry and Pyott roads in Lake in the Hills. Authorities say a Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra and Volkswagen Passat were involved in the crash. Teuerle was a front seat passenger in the Passat and was taken to Northwestern Hospital in Huntley where he was later pronounced dead. The drivers of the Passat and Sentra were injured and taken to area hospitals, according to a news release from the Lake in the Hills Police Department. Teuerle was a Jacobs High School student who "was looking forward to graduating next spring," according to the obituary. He is being remembered as a "loving and devoted son, brother, uncle, grandson, nephew, cousin, and friend."
• Kevin White, 19, was a passenger in a 2009 grey Chevrolet Malibu that was hit by a 2016 silver Toyota Sienna at about 3 p.m. on Aug. 16 at Red Gate Road and Randall Road in St. Charles Township. The car's driver, Mason Koffenberger, 20, of St. Charles, was seriously injured in the crash, and both Koffenberger and White were taken to Delnor Hospital following the collision.
  White died at the hospital, authorities said. Authorities say the Toyota turned left in front of the Chevrolet, causing the collision. The driver of the Toyota, Frank Morales, 74, of Elgin, was treated and released at the scene. He received a citation for failure to yield, according to the news release. White is a recent St. Charles North grad who played three years of varsity baseball and is being remembered for his humble, supportive and loving personality.
• A Lake County teen was among three Indiana State University football players killed in a single-vehicle crash early Sunday in Indiana. Christian Eubanks, a former football player at Warren Township High School in Gurnee, was a freshman at Indiana State and a linebacker on the football team, according to a statement from Indiana State University. His teammates, Jayden Musili, 19, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Caleb Vanhooser, 19, of Liberty Township, Ohio, were also killed in the collision, which happened at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday on State Road 46 at Main Street in Riley, according to Vigo County Sheriff John Plasse. The students’ vehicle left the road and hit a tree, and was on fire when deputies arrived, according to Plasse, who said the two people who survived were seriously injured. The driver and two passengers were pronounced dead at the scene, Plasse said.

Former IL H.S. Football Standout Killed In Single-Car Crash In Indiana