Police: 4 children killed when vehicle smashed through building in Illinois
CHATHAM, Ill. — Four children were killed and several more were injured when a car smashed through a building during an after-school program Monday afternoon in a town outside of Springfield, Illinois, police said.
Officers responded at about 3:20 p.m. to calls about a vehicle hitting three people outside, ramming through the building and then hitting another person before exiting the other side, Chatham Police Department Deputy Chief Scott Tarter said.
Those killed were between the ages of 4 and 18, Illinois State Police said in an emailed statement.
Several other people were hurt and taken to hospitals, police said.
The driver, who was uninjured, was the sole occupant of the vehicle, and was taken to a hospital for evaluation, Tarter said.
The building and facilities house YNOT Outdoors, which holds after-school programs and summer camps, according to its website.
Chatham is a small town of about 15,000 people just outside Springfield, Illinois.
