Four high schoolers killed when SUV they’re in runs red light, Illinois cops say

Four teenagers are dead and three others are hospitalized after a “major traffic crash” in Illinois, police said.

The crash involving three vehicles happened at 10:19 p.m. on May 16 at an intersection in Wheeling, the Wheeling Police Department said in a news release.

All four teens who died were in the same vehicle and between the ages of 16 and 18, according to police, adding that “speed and a disregarded traffic signal” were factors in the crash.

The victims attended Buffalo Grove High School together, school district officials said in a Facebook post.

“It is with the deepest sorrow to inform you that four Buffalo Grove High School students were killed, and one student was hospitalized, in what police are describing as a multi-car crash Tuesday night in Wheeling,” the district said.

The teens were riding in a Ford Explorer when the driver blew through a red light, ran into a vehicle turning onto the road, then crashed into a second vehicle and a light pole, which knocked out power to many in the area, police told the Daily Herald.

Damage to the vehicles was so great that six of the seven people involved had to be freed from the wreckage by firefighters, the news outlet reported. One teenager riding in the Explorer survived.

The crash is under investigation, police said.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of these students during this time of tragedy,” High School District 214 said. “We also offer condolences to all Buffalo Grove students, families and staff members.”

Wheeling is a suburb of Chicago, roughly 30 miles northwest of the city’s downtown.

This story was originally published May 17, 2023 at 12:23 PM with the headline "Four high schoolers killed when SUV they’re in runs red light, Illinois cops say."