Elburn teen killed in Campton Hills crash

Campton Hills Police are still trying to determine what caused a crash Tuesday morning on Burlington Road that killed at 17-year-old Elburn student.

Kelsey M. Barsic was driving west in the 41W300 block of Burlington when her 1998 Chevrolet Malibu left the road on the south side, went through a grassy area and hit a tree, police said.

A resident of the area discovered the accident around sunrise Tuesday. Police estimate Barsic had been dead for some time. Neither police nor the Kane County Coroner's Office could provide a more specific time of death.

Police said there was no apparent evidence that she braked, or that there were rapid steering maneuvers.

Barsic was slated to be a senior at Kaneland High School. She was looking forward to attending the Fox Valley Career Center, which is housed there, to study health occupations and earn certification as a nursing assistant, according to teacher Sharon Beck.

"She was outgoing, friendly, extremely likable, with a lot of potential," Beck said in a prepared statement.

Barsic's friends recalled her sense of fun and how people were drawn to her.

"She was the glue that held us all together," said Rachel Bezan of Sugar Grove, also a senior at Kaneland, who met Barsic in middle school.

"She was really good at math. She was the only reason I passed math class," said Lauren Brown, another senior, of Maple Park.

Kelly Hess, who met Barsic in seventh grade, said they enjoyed hanging out at bonfires in people's yards and just talking.

"She was just kind of like a magnet - you just always wanted to be around her," Hess said.

The Kane County Accident Reconstruction Team is helping with the investigation.

The victim was not wearing a seat belt nor did the air bag deploy during the crash.

It is unknown if alcohol or drugs played any part in this crash; it typically takes several weeks for the results of toxicology tests, which are sent to a state laboratory, police said.

Campton Hills Police Chief Greg Anderson said if Barsic had been wearing a seat belt she might have survived the crash.

"I hope this unfortunate tragedy can act as a warning to always wear a seat belt, and that can prevent another loss of life by a young driver or passenger," he said.

Barsic is the third Kaneland student to die in an automobile accident in the last nine months; another student died in May after being hit by a train.