BARTLETT (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - A morning drive to school Thursday soon turned to tragedy after South Elgin High School students were killed in a crash with a semi in Bartlett.
Two students were killed and two others were injured in the crash.
It happened around 7 a.m. at Route 25 and Kenyon Road, just around the corner from the school.
The four students, all teenage girls, were riding in a black Honda when it collided with a dump truck, and the car was pushed several feet into a cornfield, while the dump truck flipped on its side.
South Elgin's principal Kurt Johansen told CBS-2 that the tragedy took a toll on firefighters who responded to the crash...
“These are extremely difficult. Firemen have hearts. They have emotions. They have feelings. We all have families,” Johansen said.
As an investigation into the crash continues, Johansen said the school and the community are taking their time to grieve.
“It’s tough. It’s what you expect, right? It’s difficult…You just take it one step at a time, right? We’re just trying to get through the moment right now,” Johansen added.
A previously scheduled parents open house in the evening turned into a time for the community to grieve together.
South Elgin High is offering resources for students, including counselors and therapy dogs on site.
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