Illinois State Police and Chicago police are investigating after a driver fleeing a traffic stop lost control of their vehicle, drove off a bridge and struck a freight train, leaving four people dead.
According to authorities, Chicago police attempted to stop a vehicle at approximately 2:16 a.m. Sunday after a person inside allegedly pointed a gun at another vehicle. The driver did not stop, and officers terminated pursuit after a short period of time, police said.
A short time later, Illinois State Police saw a vehicle matching the description of the wanted individual and tried to stop the driver. After briefly stopping, the driver sped away again, and police initiated a pursuit on South Cicero Avenue.
During that pursuit, the driver lost control of their vehicle in the 6900 block of South Cicero and careened off the side of a bridge carrying the roadway over a set of railroad tracks. The vehicle struck a box car, according to authorities.
Three individuals in the vehicle, two men and a woman, were pronounced dead at the scene, police said. A fourth person, a teenage girl, was transported to an area hospital in critical condition. She was later pronounced dead.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office released the names of those who died late
Cristofer Lopez Montan, 19, Woodstock
Yuarem Garcia-Pena, 18, Woodstock
Yaritza Martinez Villeda, 17, Crystal Lake
Vanessa Morales, 14, Palatine
An investigation remains underway into the incident.
A 14-year-old girl who was preparing to start high school was among four teenagers killed in a high-speed crash Sunday morning in Bedford Park, according to Chicago police and family members.
The teens, who ranged in age from 14 to 19 years old, were all from Chicago’s north and northwest suburbs. Police said the driver of the pickup truck was fleeing law enforcement just after 2:15 a.m., when the vehicle left the roadway near Cicero Avenue and 69th Street and plunged into a train yard below.
Surveillance video showed the vehicle flying off the bridge and into the air.
Among those killed was Vanessa Morales. Her family said she would have attended freshman orientation at Palatine High School
“She was so excited. She was going to get her tablet and meet her teachers today,” Morales’ father said in Spanish.
Chicago police said officers were responding early Sunday to a report of an unidentified suspect pointing a weapon at another person while in a vehicle. Police said the vehicle matched the description of the pickup truck in which Morales and the others were riding.
According to police, officers attempted a traffic stop and briefly pursued the truck before ending the chase. Police said the crash occurred shortly after Illinois State Police made their own attempt to stop the vehicle.
Morales’ father said he believes law enforcement bears responsibility for the events leading up to the crash.
“They told me they stopped chasing, but the videos online show something else. They show lots of police cars behind them. I think there are other ways they could have stopped the car,” he said in Spanish.
Woodstock High School said one of those killed graduated from Woodstock High School last May and another last attended Woodstock High School about two years ago.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of these young people’s lives. Our thoughts are with their families,” the school said in a statement.
Another graduated from Crystal Lake Central High School.
“Our thoughts are with her family during this difficult time,” the school said.
Both the Chicago Police Department and Illinois State Police declined to provide additional details about the pursuit. A Chicago police spokesperson said the incident remains under investigation.
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