Two High School Students Killed In Crash
Updated 03/11/15 - 6:05 p.m.
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Two Aurora high school students were killed Tuesday evening, when their SUV was hit by a semi-trailer truck while they were on their way to a basketball game in far west suburban Rochelle.
The two Aurora Central Catholic High School students were on their way to cheer on the school's basketball team in the sectional semifinals, when their Acura SUV collided with a truck near Route 38 and Dement Road just before 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Illinois State Police said the Acura was heading west on Illinois Route 38, when it blew a red light at Dement Road, and slammed into the side of a semi-trailer truck attempting a left turn from Dement onto Route 38.
The Ogle County Coroner identified the victims at Seth Egger, 16, of Montgomery and Allison Bradford, 16, of Aurora.
Rochelle firefighter Jeremy Good said there was dense fog in the area at the time, and it was possible the students did not know there was a stop light at the intersection, and couldn't see it until it was too late.
A student recorded video of the aftermath of the crash, and dense fog is visible as firefighters and paramedics work at the scene of the wreck.
Police said Egger was riding in the front passenger seat was pronounced dead at the scene. Bradford was in the back seat and was pronounced dead after she was taken to the hospital.
Another teenager in the car was taken to Rochelle Hospital, and then transferred to St. Anthony's Medical Center in Rockford. The Rochelle Fire Department said that victim was in "very serious" condition at the time.
Three other passengers were able to walk away from the crash.
Police said everyone in the SUV was wearing a seat belt, except for Bradford.
The truck driver was not hurt.
Police said the 17-year-old driver of the SUV was ticketed for disobeying a red light, and voluntarily provided blood and urine samples, but police did not immediately provide results of drug or alcohol tests.
Raquel Gonzalez-Thomas remembers her nephew, Seth Egger as a "funny" kid with a "really big heart."
"It's very heartbreaking," said Gonzalez-Thomas. "You know that there are other families affected by this tragedy and we just feel bad for them too
Bradford's best friend Julie Pruneda said Ally's death still hasn't sunk in yet.
"I feel like she's on vacation or something and she's not here, yet…it's so hard," Pruneda said. "It just rips my heart out."
Egger's father died from cancer 11 years ago and he was being raised by his mother. His family has set up a Go Fund Me page to raise money for funeral expenses.
A Go Fund Me account has also been set up for Ally Bradford.
In a statement Wednesday morning, school officials mourned the deaths of the two students.
"This is a huge loss for the families, our school and the larger ACC community," the statement said.
The ACC basketball team played their sectional semifinal Tuesday night without knowing two of their classmates had died in a crash.
The victims were honored at Wednesday morning's mass at ACC.
Students from neighboring Rosary High School and nearby Marmion Academy visited ACC on Wednesday to pay tribute to two lives cut short.
"Our schools are rivals, but we're just like a family, everyone here in Aurora," Rosary student Sonja Popovich said.
Fellow rosary student Taylor Haddock said one of her worst fears is death, "but I mean, it's also a good thing too if you think about it, because they're going to be in a better place."
ACC student Giovanni Jiron said he lost a classmate and a friend in the crash.
"He was always smiling. He was always telling jokes," Jiron said. "He was always there for me."
The victims' fellow students were encouraged to wear white to school on Wednesday to pay tribute to their classmates.