A 5-year-old was killed when a vehicle drove onto a sidewalk as she was walking with her mother and two brothers on Central Avenue in Highland Park on Monday afternoon.
The girl was with her 25-year-old mother and her 4-year-old and 2-year-old brothers, all of whom were also injured when a car jumped the curb on the north side of the 700 block of Central Avenue and plowed into them, according to a news release issued by the Highland Park Police Department.
Five-year-old Jaclyn Santos-Sacramento was taken to Evanston Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 5 p.m. She lived in the 900 block of Deerfield Road, according to Highland Park News. Her brothers and mother were taken to . The boys are expected to be treated and released, while her mother, Modest Sacramento-Jimenez, remains in "fair but stable" condition, reports The Highland Park News.
The car that struck her and her brothers and mother was a Lexus coupe, according to the Chicago Tribune. It was being driven by a female 18-year-old Highland Park resident, who was also treated and released at Highland Park Hospital. No charges have been filed as of Monday evening, according to the Highland Park News.
A Highland Park resident told The Chicago Tribune that Sacramento's older brother pulled his younger brother to the bushes when paramedics arrived so he wouldn't see them work to revive their sister. A makeshift memorial was set up at the scene.
“Our hearts to go out to everyone involved,” Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering said in a statement. “This accident is a parent’s worst nightmare and has created a devastating loss.”
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http://www.indiegogo.com/indiantrailmemorialfund
From TribLocal: We're certainly looking at the possibility impairment was involved here," said Highland Park Deputy Police Chief George Pfutzenreuter. "You don't just throw the charges at somebody until you get all the evidence back." After striking the family, at some point the vehicle moved backward, possibly striking one of the victims again, according to the deputy chief. A 17-year-old Deerfield High School student told the Tribune he was with his mother pulling out of the Sunset Food parking lot when they turned onto Central Avenue and saw a woman in a black Lexus cut across two lanes of traffic and strike the family. The teen said he saw the vehicle back over the family after the initial crash. Then the car slowly rolled toward them again, and he said he put himself between the car and the people who were injured on the ground. "I pushed as hard as I could," he said. "The little boy had blood running down his face, the little girl was ominously silent and the mother was wailing on her cell phone."
There must be some valid legalities present that they have yet to release the name of the driver, but I think the police department has done a poor job communicating that explanation to the community. "Investigation ongoing" can be an acceptable justification, but only if well explained to a community in outrage. Clearly this isn't a case of simple DUI, as a breathalyzer would have evidenced that fairly quickly. I don't want to speculate, but I gather this is a lot deeper than any of us know. Highland Park strives to encourage inclusion and support of all cultures. I think this is well demonstrated in the outpouring of support for this family over the last 36 hours. PLEASE do not let the police's lack of information negate any of that.
So clearly it's not the Highland Park Police Department's call.
More people will donate when they are sure that the monies go to the family.
The proof is in the pudding. I do not know of any other town that requires four crossing guards at an intersection and this is on the weekend not even necessarily for children. Many people think the stop sign is just a suggestion. And their children have learned that attitude.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/suburbs/highland_park_highwood/chi-cops-await-toxicology-results-for-driver-in-fatal-highland-park-crash-20120904,0,5582877.story
Maybe she took some sleep aid the night before and it had an adverse effect on her... Maybe she was drunk. Narcoleptic. Epileptic. Fainted due to dehydration or some other reason. Or maybe the car had some mechanical failure. As for backing up - perhaps she was in shock and thought that was the right thing to do. Or if she was sleeping, in a dream state... Tragic nonetheless, but I'm certain we'll find out what happened. The family walking on the sidewalk certainly has my sympathies...
http://www.cityhpil.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=123
http://www.cityhpil.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=123
who can represent them for free?? The driver was charged with a midemeaner
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/09/05/highland-park-mayor-frustrated-by-deadly-crash-investigation/
http://deerfield.patch.com/articles/no-charges-yet-in-highland-park-fatal-accident#comments_list I know because I subscribed to the thread and got the e-mail naming her. Someone named by John Born lists the girl's name in Deerfield Patch, but the HP contributor got flagged...although real information.
http://touch.chicagotribune.com/#section/545/article/p2p-72109550/
I wondered the same thing. Who are we protecting and why? This is public information. Who are we afraid of offending?
https://twitter.com/carlyrousso/status/15297625329
So sad to hear that these selfish behaviors and me first addict uses have led to the death of a child. :(