A devastating crash at an after-school center in the small town of Chatham claimed the lives of four young girls Monday afternoon, leaving a tight knit community reeling with grief.
According to Illinois State Police, the tragedy unfolded around 3:20 p.m. at the YNOT Outdoors Summer and After School Camp, located at 301 Breckenridge Road. A vehicle, for reasons still under investigation, struck several people outside the building before barreling through its east wall, plowing through the interior and exiting through the opposite side.
Authorities confirmed the victims were two 7 year old girls, an 8 year old girl, and an 18 year old young woman. Six others were injured, with one victim airlifted to a nearby hospital in critical condition. The remaining five were transported by ambulance.
State police said initial findings do not suggest the crash was a targeted attack. The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not yet disclosed whether the cause was medical, mechanical, or otherwise. The driver, whose identity and age have not been released, was uninjured but was taken to a hospital for evaluation.
The YNOT Center, a place where children often waited for their parents after school, turned into a scene of chaos and heartbreak within moments. Parents rushed to the site as word of the crash spread, some frantically searching for their children. First responders from across central Illinois quickly converged to secure the area and assist with rescue efforts.
Witnesses described scenes of overwhelming agony. In video captured at the scene, one woman can be heard crying out, “Oh, poor babies!” upon learning the building had been filled with children.
In a statement on Tuesday, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker called the incident “horrifying and deeply saddening.”
“Our community lost a group of bright and innocent young people with their whole lives ahead of them,” Pritzker wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “My heart is heavy for these families and the unimaginable grief they are experiencing something that no parent should ever have to endure.”
As Chatham mourns the unimaginable, questions remain about how such a tragedy could have unfolded in a place meant to nurture and protect.
Illinois State Police said they will release further information as the investigation continues.
