Burlington Central students remember friend, teammate
A sea of tie-dye surrounded Burlington Central High School's flagpole early this morning.
Hundreds of students who knew Jerry Martinez as a classmate, teammate and friend turned out for a "See you at the Pole" meeting dedicated to the 16-year-old who died Friday in a car crash near St. Charles.
In between minutes of silent prayer and reflection, students spoke freely - remembering Jerry as a funny guy who taught them to live life to the fullest.
Jill Gough, a senior, helped organize the memorial after learning Friday afternoon about Jerry's passing.
The two had spent the summer working together at Maciano's, a local Italian restaurant.
"I had just been in gym class with him five hours before," she said of hearing the news. "He was beautiful and funny ... just one of those people."
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 Kane County Coroner's office, who performed an autopsy Monday, said results are pending a toxicology test, which could take several weeks.
The Biniaks also were taken to Delnor and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
The crash and the reason behind it remains under investigation.
Jerry was a third-year defender on Burlington Central High School's hockey team. He loved school, was famous for wearing tie-dye and for putting a smile on peoples' faces.
"He was a really cool guy," sophomore Luke Urich said. "I was going to have a party on Friday ... and I had just been telling him about it."
Superintendent Todd Stirn, who was at Tuesday's memorial, said high school families were notified over the weekend about Jerry's death via the district's reverse calling system.
Students plan to hang a tie-dyed banner in Jerry's honor in the school library.
Counseling has been made available at the school, Stirn said. So far, about 30 students have used the services.
Visitation will take place from 3 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Countryside Funeral Home & Crematory, 95 S. Gilbert St., South Elgin.
A funeral Mass is scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday at St. Thomas More Church, 1625 W. Highland Ave., Elgin. In lieu of flowers, donations should be sent to Jerry J. Martinez III Scholarship Fund care of First Community Bank of Elgin, 165 S. Randall Road, Elgin, IL 60123. For details, call (847) 289-8054.
<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=324534">Burlington Central student killed in crash remembered for his humor <span class="date">[09/27/09]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=324233">Elgin teen dead, toddler injured in Randall Road crash <span class="date">[09/25/09]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>