Nearly a year after an SUV plowed into a Chatham after-school camp, killing four children and an 18-year-old counselor, grieving families are taking the fight to court. A wrongful-death lawsuit filed Sunday in Sangamon County Court targets the YNOT After School Camp, the driver and several companies tied to the building's construction. The families say they are seeking not only damages but also structural changes they argue are long overdue to keep kids safe.
Suit Targets Camp’s Location And Lack Of Protection From Traffic
The complaint says the YNOT building, finished in 2012, sits less than 100 feet from County Highway 5A and “lacked adequate means of vehicle restraint” that might have stopped a car before it reached areas where children gathered. According to the filing, the layout left young campers exposed to a predictable danger and has not seen meaningful safety upgrades since opening.
Plaintiffs argue that simple structural protections could have changed everything. They claim the camp and companies involved in construction ignored the risk of a vehicle leaving the road and entering the facility. The families are seeking accountability from the driver, camp operators and construction-related entities, according to Fox 32 Chicago.
The lawsuit names YNOT Outdoors Summer and After School Camp, the driver and additional parties tied to the building's design and construction. It lists the Village of Chatham as a respondent in discovery, which allows attorneys to seek records and testimony, but does not name the village as a defendant for damages.
The families are represented by the Chicago firm Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard along with Frederick W. Nessler & Associates. Attorney Lance Northcutt said the families want accountability and safety improvements that would prevent another tragedy, WCBU/NPR Illinois reports.
How The Crash Happened And Who Was Lost
According to the Illinois State Police, the crash unfolded when an SUV driven by 44-year-old Marianne Akers left County Highway 5A, crossed a field and slammed into the east side of the YNOT building at 301 Breckenridge Road. Investigators say the vehicle entered the structure and then exited it as it traveled through, cutting through a space where children and staff were present.
The victims were identified as 7-year-olds Kathryn Corley and Alma Buhnerkempe, 8-year-olds Ainsley Johnson and Bradley James Lund, and 18-year-old counselor Rylee Britton. Lund died weeks later at a hospital after initially surviving the crash.
The state police press release noted that initial toxicology tests on the driver were negative and that Akers was evaluated for a possible medical episode.
Months later, Sangamon County State’s Attorney John Milhiser announced that his office would not file criminal charges, saying the evidence supported a conclusion that the crash was the result of a medical emergency rather than a criminal act. A reconstruction of the crash showed the Jeep maintained a nearly constant speed as it crossed the field and that the vehicle’s stability control system limited wheel speed before impact, according to reporting by the Sangamon Reporter.
What The Families Say They Are Fighting For
Through the civil case, the families are seeking more than money. Their attorneys say they want changes to the site and to industry practices that could harden youth facilities against similar incidents, particularly in high-traffic areas where parents regularly drop off and pick up kids. They are expected to outline the claims and their goals in more detail at a news conference in Chicago this week, according to Fox 32 Chicago.
Legal Stakes And Safety Questions
A central legal claim in the complaint is that state safety rules in effect when the structure was built barred permanent youth camp facilities from being located within 100 feet of a highway. Plaintiffs say that alleged violation supports negligence and premises liability theories against those who developed and maintained the property.
The suit also alleges that companies responsible for construction or maintenance failed to install barriers or other protective measures that could have stopped or deflected a vehicle before it entered areas where children were present. The families argue this was a foreseeable risk for a camp so close to a county highway. WCBU/NPR Illinois notes that the Village of Chatham is included in discovery but is not currently being sued for damages.
The lawsuit arrives after months of memorials, benefits and community gatherings that have tried to support the victims' families and survivors while the town continues to process its grief. Organizers and residents have repeatedly described Chatham as a tight-knit place in local coverage, and some see the court battle as part of a larger push to make youth programs and facilities safer across Illinois. NPR Illinois
