Burlington Central student killed in crash remembered for his humor

The crosses, made from the hockey sticks of his teammates and standing at the intersection of Randall and Red Gate roads near St. Charles, tell the story of a friend taken too soon.

According to family members, 16-year-old Jerry J. Martinez, killed Friday when his Toyota Camry collided head-on with a Lincoln Navigator, was an avid hockey fan and player.

A third-year defender on Burlington Central High School's hockey club team, he also loved the outdoors and was looking forward to a family fishing trip in Canada next year.

Jerry's aunt Nanette Martinez-McWhorter said the crosses and a team hat placed at the scene all bear messages remembering a cheerful friend.

When not on the ice, Jerry, a resident of unincorporated Elgin, loved school, especially speech class, as it let him open up and express his true self, Martinez-McWhorter said.

"I think he found his calling - he loved to entertain," she said. "Giving his speeches, he talked about how much he made the class laugh."

Nearly all of the dozens of posts on a Facebook site dedicated to Jerry's memory also recall instances in which Jerry made the poster chuckle or when he told a joke that improved their day.

"He liked to make the kids laugh; he was like a gentle giant," Martinez-McWhorter said. "(He would do) anything to make them laugh. He was always the clown."

And when he wasn't in school, Jerry loved fishing, riding his all-terrain vehicle and hanging out with his cousins, who lived a couple of doors down from him, Martinez-McWhorter said.

The crash occurred a little after noon near St. Charles North High School when Jerry's car slammed into the luxury SUV driven by Victoria Marie Biniak, 35, of the 2200 block of Brookwood Drive in South Elgin.

Biniak had her 4-year-old daughter, Elisa, in the vehicle with her.

Jerry was taken to Delnor Hospital in Geneva where he was pronounced dead, police said.

The Biniaks also were taken to Delnor and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Both were released from the hospital Friday, according to a nursing supervisor.

The crash and the reason behind it - police have not yet ruled out drugs and alcohol as factors - remain under investigation, said Lt. Pat Gengler, a spokesman with the Kane County Sheriff's Office.

Police have confirmed Jerry possessed a valid Illinois driver's license.

The Kane County coroner's office would not release Jerry's preliminary cause of death Saturday until first notifying the Martinez family, officials said.

Jerry's autopsy has been scheduled for Monday.

He leaves behind two sisters, Christina, 20, and Jessica, 15, who also goes to Central High School.

Martinez-McWhorter said Jerry, being his helpful self, had just left lunch with a friend Friday afternoon when the accident occurred. He was on his way home to pick Jessica up and drive her to her cross country practice.

"He was the sweetest kid in the world," his aunt said. "He had such a kind, kind heart."

Funeral arrangements are pending at Countryside Funeral Home and Crematory in South Elgin.

Crash: Facebook site pays tribute to student