Henry County Van Accident Kills 3 Teenagers

Passenger vans are handy vehicles to have if you want to transport several people comfortably at one time. However, there is a downside: if the fully-occupied van is involved in an accident, then the potential for injury and death is much higher than it would be in regular cars.

Sadly, this point was illustrated in Henry County last week when a van crashed on a rural road south of Kewanee. The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon about 4:15pm on 2700th Street just north of 300th Avenue, which is just northeast of the intersection of U.S. 34 and Illinois Route 91. Three teenagers were killed in that wreck and two other people were hurt.

One of the fatalities was an 18-year old from the city of Wyoming. The two others who lost their lives resided in Toulon and were 15 and 16 years old. The driver was one of the two injured victims who was helicoptered to a hospital in Peoria. Their conditions are not available.

There's no information on what caused the one-vehicle auto accident. But whatever happened, the driver of the van (whom the article implies was an adult) will probably be held liable for the deaths of the three teens as well as the injuries to the surviving passenger - because Illinois law calls for drivers to take responsibility for the safety of their passengers. This means that the driver could be named as a defendant in wrongful death lawsuits filed by the parents of the three teenagers. These suits could seek to recover burial expenses, lost future wages, and damages for pain and suffering. Also, the injured passenger may choose to file a personal injury lawsuit against the driver as well. This lawsuit may result in the defendant paying for  the plaintiff's incurred medical expenses, future physical therapy, and possibly even unearned wages due to work absenteeism (if the victim is employed) - as well as damages for emotional anguish.