Four killed when vehicle crashes into after-school program site in Illinois

Four people are dead, including children, and several others are injured after a car crashed through an after-school camp in Chatham, Illinois, authorities said.

Police arrived at 3:20 p.m. Monday after a car crashed through the east side of the YNOT After School Camp, according to an Illinois State Police press release. Chatham lies south of Springfield.

The vehicle struck several people outside the building, entered through the eastern portion of the building, before exiting the western side of the structure, Chatham Police Department Deputy Chief Scott Tarter said at a brief news conference.

The victims are thought to be 18 years old or younger, according to an Illinois State Police press release.

According to the authorities, the automobile struck three of the victims outside the building and another inside. Several others were sent to hospitals, and at least one was flown, according to officials.

The driver, who has not been identified, was not injured and was undergoing an evaluation at the hospital Monday evening, the State Police said. The cops claimed there was no one else in the car.

Officers from the Chatham Police Department, Chatham Fire Department, and other agencies responded to a complaint Monday afternoon about a vehicle entering Y.N.O.T. Following School Camp, the State Police announced.

According to the police, the motorist drove into the east side of the building, injuring many persons outside, then continuing inside the structure, hitting more people inside and escaping on the west side.

The Illinois State Police and the Chatham Police Department are looking into the collision. It was not immediately clear what caused the collision.

Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois expressed his condolences for the victims and their families in a statement on Monday evening, and said that his administration was monitoring the situation.

“Our community lost a group of bright and innocent young people with their whole lives ahead of them,” Mr. Pritzker said. “Parents said goodbye to their kids this morning not knowing it would be the last time. My heart is heavy for these families and the unimaginable grief they’re experiencing.”