by Collin Cramer

Tue, April 29th 2025 at 8:52 AM

Updated Tue, April 29th 2025 at 9:01 AM

Vehicle drives through after school program building in Chatham (WICS/Dave Warren)

CHATHAM, Ill. (WICS) — The Illinois State Police are actively investigating a fatal crash that took place on Monday afternoon in Chatham.

Authorities have identified the driver involved in the incident as 44-year-old Marianne Akers, a resident of Chatham.

Akers is not currently in custody, as the cause of the crash is still under investigation, officials said.

On Monday, four female students were pronounced dead at the scene of a motor vehicle versus pedestrian incident at an after-school care facility in the 300 block of Breckenridge Road, Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon confirmed.

The Illinois State Police have confirmed that two seven-year-olds, an 8-year-old, and an 18-year-old were killed in the crash. Six more children were also taken to an area hospital, with one in critical condition.