Four suburban teens killed in Bedford Park crash after fleeing police

Four teens were killed in Bedford Park after a driver fleeing a police stop careened off a bridge and struck a freight train early Sunday morning, authorities said.

The Cook County medical examiner’s office identified the victims as Cristofer Lopez Montan, 19, of Woodstock, Yuarem Garcia-Pena, 18, of Woodstock, Yaritza Martinez Villeda, 17, of Crystal Lake, and Vanessa Morales, 14, of Palatine.

At about 2:16 a.m., Chicago police attempted to stop a vehicle after a person inside allegedly pointed a gun at another vehicle. The driver did not stop, and officers initiated a pursuit which was quickly ended, police said.

Illinois State Police observed the same vehicle a short time later and attempted another traffic stop, police said. After briefly stopping, the driver fled again and police initiated another pursuit.

The driver lost control of their vehicle in the 6900 block of South Cicero Avenue, plunging off the bridge carrying the roadway and colliding with a train box car below, police said.

Three people in the vehicle, two males and one female, were pronounced dead at the scene, police said. A fourth person, a female, was transported to Advocate Christ Hospital in critical condition, who later died.

The Investigative Response Team is investigating.