SUV crashes into Bolingbrook apartment, killing woman in bed

Neighbors say a Bolingbrook woman killed when an SUV slammed into her apartment early Saturday morning was a friendly person who worked hard to help her family.

Josefina Prospero, 48, was confirmed dead shortly after the accident, which occurred at 2:23 a.m., authorities said.

Police suspect alcohol was a factor in the accident, said Bolingbrook Police Lt. Mike Rompa. A 17-year-old boy who was driving the SUV is in custody in connection with the crash. A 17-year-old passenger has been released from custody.

The crash awoke neighbor Isabel Osornio, who lives in the apartment above Prospero's in a complex called Riverstone Apartments. Osornio said Prospero was a pleasant neighbor who was good with kids and senior citizens.

“She's a really nice person,” Osornio said. “She works so hard over here because she has kids in Mexico and she sends them money.”

The SUV crashed into the north side of the apartment building, which faces an open area with a gazebo. A road marked as a fire lane for emergency vehicles borders the building. Osornio said kids often play in the open area, and drivers almost always obey the signs and don't drive down the fire lane.

Officials had boarded up the window that the SUV crashed into by Saturday afternoon. Skid marks were visible on the fire lane and sidewalks near the gazebo, and orange spray paint marked the vehicle's tire tracks across about 15 feet of grass between the fire lane and the building.

The manager of Riverstone Apartments did not immediately return a phone call for comment Saturday afternoon.

An employee of the Comfort Inn in Romeoville, where Prospero worked in the housekeeping department, said Prospero was a “very nice lady” and staff are “very sad to see her leave.”