Woman dies after driving van into pond in Naperville

A woman died after her van crashed and veered off into a retention pond Tuesday afternoon.

The woman has been identified as Stacy G. Johnson, 42, of Downers Grove, according to a Naperville police news release.

Johnson was transported to Edward Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, the release said. Cause of death has not been determined.

The accident happened at Ogden Avenue and Rickert Drive around 3:55 p.m. Three cars were involved in the crash, police said.

The two other drivers were not injured.

According to the initial police investigation, Johnson's vehicle, a 2005 GMC conversion van, entered Rickert from a private road at 808 Rickert.

She was crossing the northbound lanes of traffic on Rickert when another vehicle struck her van.

The other car was a 1999 Buick Park Avenue driven by Amanda Wright of Naperville, the release said.

Johnson's vehicle crossed the raised median and the southbound lanes of Rickert before rolling into a retention pond at 1635 Emerson, the release said.

Members of Naperville police and fire departments and the Underwater Recovery Team all entered the pond to try to rescue Johnson, the release said.

The front part of the vehicle was submerged under water, Naperville Fire Batallion Chief Mike Veseling said.

By the time firefighters arrived, three Naperville police officers were already in the water attempting to rescue the woman, Veseling said.

Divers were able to release the woman's seat and free her, he said. She was then taken to Edward.

According to Veseling, the rescue team continued to search for other occupants of the vehicle, since there was no confirmation except from bystanders that the woman had been alone, Veseling said.

The news release confirmed that Johnson was the lone occupant of the vehicle.

The other driver involved in the crash was Emerson Lee of Bolingbrook, who was struck by Wright's Buick after it had struck Johnson's van, the release said.

Members of the Naperville Police Department Traffic Unit, trained in accident reconstruction, responded to the scene to investigate, the release said.

The accident is still under investigation.

Anyone with information regarding the accident is asked to contact the traffic unit at (630) 305-5285.