Brother, Sister Killed In Crash In Maywood

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A brother and sister were killed early Tuesday in a crash in front of their parents' home in west suburban Maywood.

The victims have been identified as 26-year-old Martrail Shelton and his 22-year-old sister, Charlaine Shelton.

Martrail was behind the wheel of his taxi, and his sister had hopped in for a ride to work just after 3:30 a.m., when an SUV slammed into them as they pulled out of their driveway on 9th Avenue near Green Street.

The taxi hit a tree, and the SUV caught fire after the crash.

"I heard a loud sound. It was like, pow, like something hit something," said their mother, Cathy Shelton.

Cathy and her husband, Anthony Johnson, had just watched Martrail and Charlaine leave the house. Johnson said the crash sounded like an explosion.

Martrail and Charlaine had to be extricated from the car. They were taken to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, where they were pronounced dead.

"When she was in the cab, she was crying. I heard her crying, and I couldn't open the door. It was stuck together," said their brother, Ernest Shelton.

Johnson said his daughter was in college to become a nurse. His son worked for People's Cab, a job his parents and boss said he took seriously.

"He had great driving ability, and he thought he was the best there was. At least, he used to tell us, too; the best there ever was," Thomas Wells said.

Police said a 24-year-old woman was in custody Tuesday morning after she tried to run away from the scene of the crash.

"I hope that she never see the light of day; that her life and every time that she wakes up, she thinks about the two people that she took life," Cathy Shelton said.

Neighbors said speeding is a big problem in the area, and police confirmed the driver of the SUV was hurtling down 9th Avenue at the time of the crash.

Illinois State Police were assisting Maywood Police in the investigation.

In:
• Maywood