Roselle woman charged in Septemberfest accident
After more than three months, Schaumburg police today said they have charged a Roselle woman with causing a serious traffic collision that injured a crowd of people during Labor Day weekend's Septemberfest celebration.
Rebecca E. Moeller, 18, of 627 Glacier Court, was charged with speeding, improper lane use and damage to village property.
Her first court appearance is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Jan. 2 at the Third District Cook County Courthouse in Rolling Meadows.
The crash took place about 9:30 p.m. Sept. 2 while people were lined up and down Plum Grove Road getting ready to watch the annual Septemberfest fireworks show.
According to police, a Ford Mustang with four teenagers inside drove off the roadway, hit two trees and then plowed into a number of people.
The crash resulted in seven people being transported to local hospitals, including one who was in serious condition at the time. Everyone else was treated for injuries that were not life threatening.
Police Sgt. John Nebl said the simplest explanation of why the vehicle left the road was a combination of its speed and a quick lane change. The Traffic Crash Reconstruction Team determined Moeller's vehicle was traveling over the posted 45 mph speed limit, he said.
"Investigators have some idea about why she left the roadway, but that's going to come up in court," Nebl said. "There's still the possibility of a civil suit being filed."
Police said the investigation took a long time because of the complicated nature of reconstructing the crash scene as well as the time it took for the driver's blood test to be analyzed by the crime lab. The results of that blood test eliminated the possibility of any alcohol-related charges being filed, Nebl said.
This wasn't the first time a local community experienced such a crash during firework celebrations.
In 1996, an out-of-control car struck a crowd in Wheeling watching Fourth of July fireworks.
That night a 1986 Buick Electra driven by an 83-year-old man raced out of its parking spot. The car struck a parking island, a tree, three cars and eight people, injuring seven and killing an 11-year-old boy. Parking is no longer allowed near fireworks spectators in Wheeling.
In 2000, shortly before a Batavia fireworks show, a driver hit a pickup truck, sending members of the family that was inside catapulting to the ground, injuring them. The accident was near a crowd of hundreds.
Since then, Batavia police have stepped up efforts to enforce a no-parking zone where people watch fireworks. To clear room for pedestrians, officers have stopped traffic directly after fireworks' shows.