Van Flips Over, Ejecting 16 People and Killing 2 Boys
A van carrying 18 people overturned on a highway Saturday, ejecting 16 of the passengers when the vehicle’s roof was torn off. Two young boys were killed, authorities said.
Police found no child safety seats, said State Police Master Sgt. Scott Koerner.
“The roof area is peeled back from contact with a large highway sign,” Koerner said. “On the surface, if people are ejected we would assume that people are not wearing their [seat] belts.”
The driver lost control and overcorrected on Interstate 57 south of Kankakee, police said.
A 3 1/2-year-old boy died at the scene and an 8-month-old boy died at a hospital, Iroquois County Coroner Bill Cheatum said. He said the boys were traveling with relatives.
The van was coming from the Chicago area -- about 50 miles to the north -- but Koerner wouldn’t release details about its driver, owner or destination. The boys’ names were not released.
Neither Cheatum nor Koerner would comment on the injuries to other passengers. A blood sample was taken from the driver for toxicology tests, Koerner said.
Illinois law requires children under 4 to be strapped into a safety seat.
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