Four people, all of them children or adolescents, were killed and several others were killed on Monday when a car crashed into a school after school in Chatham, Illinois, a town south of Springfield, state police said.
It is believed that the victims are 18 years old or less, said the Police Department of the State of Illinois in a press release.
The car hit three of the victims outside the building and the other inside it, police said. Several others were tasks for the hospital, and at least one person was transferred by plane, authorities said.
There was no additional information about the injuries on Monday night or the ages of the injured, said Melaney Arnold, spokesman for the Illinois state police.
The driver, whom the authorities have not identified publicly, was not injured and underwent an evaluation in the hospital on Monday night, state police said. No one else was in the vehicle, police said.
The officers of the Chatham Police Department, the Fire Department of Chatham and other agencies responded to a call on Monday afternoon of a vehicle that led to the camp after school, state police said.
According to the police, the driver hit the east side of the building, hitting several people outside and then continued driving through the building, hitting more people inside before leaving the west side.
The State Police of Illinois and the Chatham Police Department are investigating the accident.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker expressed his condolences for the victims and their families in a statement on Monday night, and said that his administration was monitoring the situation.
“Our community lost a group of brilliant and innocent young people with all their lives ahead,” said Pritzker. “The parents said goodbye to their children this morning without knowing what would be the last time. My heart is heavy for thesis families and the unimaggated are experiments.”
Representatives or Illinois are also used on social networks to express their sympathies. Representative Mary Miller, Republican, said in X: “My heart is with the whole community.” The representative Raja Krishnamorthi, a Democrat, said: “As a father, my heart breaks for these parents who live all our worst nightmare tonight.”
Chatham, a town of around 14,500 people, is approximately 12 miles south of the center of Springfield, sick.
This is a development story.
Neil Vigor and Julie Bosman Information.
