3 Bolingbrook teens killed in traffic accident.

[Steff]

for their families.

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/custom/...story?track=rss

 

 

Crash kills 3 Bolingbrook teens; driver of semi cited

 

By Hal Dardick and Matthew Walberg

Tribune staff reporters

Published September 12, 2006, 6:49 AM CDT

 

 

Two Bolingbrook High School students and a former student were killed Monday afternoon when a semi-tractor trailer pulled in front of them to turn, authorities said.

 

Luis Vega, 18, of the 0-99 block of Fernwood; Javier Moraira, 18, of the 100 block of Park Court; and Nayeli Murillo, 18, of the 200 block of Clarendon, all of Bolingbrook, were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident at Remington Boulevard and Quadrangle Drive, police said.

 

Vega was driving a gray 2000 Nissan Maxima westbound on Remington at about 2 p.m. when a truck operated by Intercon Cartage, carrying a full load of disposable foam dinner plates, began turning onto eastbound Remington from Quadrangle, Bolingbrook Police Lt. Chris Prochut said.

 

The truck driver, Scott Witt, 41, of the 300 block of Tallman in Romeoville, apparently did not see or misjudged the speed of the Maxima, which struck the trailer, Prochut said. Witt was not injured.

 

Witt was cited for failure to yield while making a left turn and was released after voluntarily submitting to a blood-alcohol test, Prochut said. Test results were not available Monday night, but Prochut said investigators at the scene saw no indication Witt was driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

 

The Will County state's attorney's office also was reviewing the case, Prochut said.

 

A man who answered the phone at Intercon Cartage in Bedford Park said the company would have no comment.

 

Vega and Murillo were students at Bolingbrook High School, and Moraira was a former student. A team of clergy and crisis counselors will be at the school beginning at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, police said.

 

Outside and inside the Murillo home Monday night, literally dozens of subdued family members gathered to comfort each other.

 

Rey Murillo, 20, Nayeli's older brother, said his sister had been on her way home from school and was supposed to get her little brother at a bus stop.

 

"She never made it," he said. The family was expecting her home about the time of the accident and instead got a call from police about 4:30 p.m.

 

Murillo said his sister was very close to their mother and both parents were distraught Monday night. The family had moved from Glendale Heights to Bolingbrook about two years ago.

 

Nayeli was a senior at Bolingbrook, one of four children, and worked as a server at the Golden Corral restaurant in Bolingbrook. "She worked a lot, she loved working," her brother said. Beyond that, Nayeli liked going out and having fun and playing sports, but was not on any school teams.

 

Her tearful cousin, Yesenia Alvarado, 15, also a Bolingbrook student, spoke of how close Nayeli was to her 7-year-old brother. "She was like a second mother to her little brother. She loved kids. I know that she was planning on having children."

 

Valley View School District 365U Board President Mark Cothron said he did not know the teens, but added, "I don't have any words for it. I just feel sorry and send out condolences to the families."

 

There was a moment of silence for the families at the Monday night school board meeting.

[Brian]

When driving to southern IL, I HATE getting near those semi's. They seriously think they own the road and cut people off without regard.

I should say some, not all.

[Steff]

When driving to southern IL, I HATE getting near those semi's. They seriously think they own the road and cut people off without regard.

I should say some, not all.

 

 

 

I don't envy them one bit. They are driving a 50+ foot long vehicle that usually weighs 5x that of a car and they have to contend with douchebag car drivers who speed around them and cut them off expecting them to stop on a dime behind them.

[Texsox]

I know first hand the pain of this type of accident. My prayers are with everyone.

[Iwritecode]

If they struck the trailer of the truck and not the cab, then the driver of the car was either going pretty damn fast, or just did not see a huge truck in front of him in time to stop. Or possibly wet pavment played a factor with all the rain lately?

 

The truck driver had to have been halfway across the intersection when the accident occured.

[Texsox]

They may have swerved hard to try and miss the truck. Any number of reasons could come into play. They may have just trusted the driver was going to stop.

 

Not specific to this but think about all the distractions we have placed in cars today. I've seen people sending text messages on their phones. OK, I've done that, and will stop. I will bet that everyone here has been distracted to the point of not being able to see a semi in their path.

[Iwritecode]

They may have swerved hard to try and miss the truck. Any number of reasons could come into play. They may have just trusted the driver was going to stop.

 

Not specific to this but think about all the distractions we have placed in cars today. I've seen people sending text messages on their phones. OK, I've done that, and will stop. I will bet that everyone here has been distracted to the point of not being able to see a semi in their path.

 

I'm certainly not blaming the teenagers in the car. It was mostly the truck driver's fault for pulling out in front of them in the first place. I just wonder if the accident could've been avoided at all if they had noticed the truck there in the first place.

 

I had the same sort of thing happen to me. A pickup pulled out in front of me from a side street and STOPPED because he wanted to make a left hand turn. I might have been able to avoid him but 1) the posted speed limit was 55 MPH and 2) I was changing the CD in my radio.

 

Of course I totaled my car AND got the ticket for "failing to yield".

[Steff]

The details are a bit confusing. If the truck driver was turning and the car was at a distance the mph would have alowed for the turn then this never would have happened. IWC, I agree with you. Something else - sadly but likely speeding - was going on and maybe not paying attention and that's why they hit the trailer.

 

As for not seeing a semi truck & trailer in front of me... I can't say that's ever happened.

 

Also IWC.. if a car falls from the sky and you hit it.. you have failed to yield. It's a stupid law for situations like the one that happened to you.

[Texsox]

I don't think anyone here would blame the teens without some evidence. One of my Scoutmaster Minutes that I repeat annually is traffic safety. I see these guys getting the license and they never seem to really understand how quickly life could change for them.

 

My son totalled our van when he pulled out in front of someone who he thought was going to stop. His friend in the front passenger seat thankfully only received minor injuries, but it could have been a lot worse.

[Iwritecode]

Also IWC.. if a car falls from the sky and you hit it.. you have failed to yield. It's a stupid law for situations like the one that happened to you.

 

I'm pretty sure that's where the truck I hit came from.

 

I looked and did not see anyone in front of me. I didn't even see him on the side street where he came from. I looked away for a few seconds, look up again and BAM.