Four high school students killed, three people injured in three-vehicle crash in Chicago
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Four school students were killed in a fatal crash involving three vehicles in Chicago on Tuesday night of May 16. One more student and two people were also injured in the incident. The crash took place at Dundee and Schoenbeck roads around 10.19 pm killing four students at Buffalo Grove High School.
The students who were traveling in the black Ford Explorer SUV have been identified as Richard De-Ita, 18, Kevin R Hernandez-Teran, 17, and Jesus Rodriguez, 16, of Wheeling besides, 17-year-old Ricky Barcenas from Arlington Heights.
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'The bang was loud and it hit the light pole and the power went out'
The horrific crash severely damaged the car, with the front ends of at least three cars destroyed as per CBS News. One of the cars hit a light pole knocking out the power to the area. "It's pretty horrible, I was down the street, pretty close to here. The bang was loud and it hit the light pole and the power went out on this whole block," a witness told CBC2.
Barcenas, 17 years old from Arlington Heights, was reported as a back-seat passenger who was taken to the hospital where he later died in the ICU. The coroner's office said he died of "blunt force injuries as a result of the crash, as per the report. The condition of the injured student is not known yet.
'He was a really nice person to talk to'
Buffalo Grove High student Christian Ramirez who went to the crash site described his friend Rodriguez as fun-loving, "During classes, we would joke around and play around," Ramirez said. "He would help me a lot with girls," Daily Herald reported. Another student from Arlington remembered Rodriguez as a good person. "He was a good kid, a great kid," Riesterer said before adding "He was a really nice person to talk to." Friends of Hernandez-Teran told the outlet that Teran wanted to be a fashion designer and had recently.
Police, as per reports, believe that Explorer may have been speeding when it disregarded a red light. Buffalo Grove High School, school district spokeswoman Stephanie Kim said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of these students during this time of tragedy. We also offer condolences to all Buffalo Grove students, families, and staff members," Kim added.