In a sorrowful turn of events on the Eisenhower Expressway, two teenagers' lives were abruptly ended in a collision allegedly involving a drunk driver. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the victims, identified as Erik Cox and Shealyn Marie Sherwood, had just recently celebrated their high school graduations and were taken from their hopeful paths towards the future. Early Sunday morning, while attempting to change a flat tire on the expressway, they were struck and killed by a motorist who, prosecutors assert, was driving intoxicated and with her vehicle's headlights off.
Ashanti Gates, 21, has been charged with nine felony counts, which include reckless homicide and driving under the influence causing death. The Illinois State Police informed that the crash occurred around 3:00 a.m. near Damen Avenue. It was reported by NBC Chicago, that a third friend of the victims, who was present at the scene, managed to escape physical harm.
Following the incident, Gates was purportedly found to have a blood-alcohol level of 0.188%, a stark contrast to the legal limit of 0.08%. Gates admitted to consuming vodka before getting behind the wheel, as stated by prosecutors. Gates was also reportedly working as a security guard at a university and had never been charged with a crime previously, further outlined by an assistant public defender. Despite the gravity of the charges, Judge Mary Marubio denied a petition to keep Gates in jail pending trial but ordered her on home confinement with stipulations that she does not drink or drive. Gates is scheduled to return to court on June 25.
The loss of Cox and Sherwood has deeply impacted their friends and family. "He was on his route to success, and then he was tragically taken away from us," Cox's legal guardian, Fernando Chavarria, told the Chicago Sun-Times. Devan Sherwood, Shealyn's father, stated, "She's the kind of person that would have made the future better." Memorials have sprung up as the communities mourn, with an online fundraiser surpassing its goal to help cover Cox's funeral expenses, signifying the outpouring of love and support for the young individuals whose lives were lost far too early.
