Memorial fund honors retired deputy who died in airport accident
A memorial fund has been established in the name of retired DuPage County sheriff's deputy Michael Yates, who was killed in a collision between two luggage carts at Midway International Airport.
Organized by Hultgren Funeral Home in Wheaton, the fund will benefit Yates' widow, Beth, and sons Kiefer, Keegan and Coble. For information, visit youcaring.com or phone the funeral home at (630) 668-0027.
Yates retired from the sheriff's office last June after serving for 28 years. He was a sniper on the SWAT team for more than two decades, and was part of a special Illinois crew sent to New Orleans in 2005 in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Yates also was an original member of the regional SWAT team with the Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System's Weapons of Mass Destruction task force created after 9/11.
A Southwest Airlines employee, Yates, 52, was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected when the luggage cart he was driving hit another cart at about 11:30 p.m. Friday. The other driver, who was wearing a seat belt, was not injured. Chicago police called the crash a "terrible accident." An investigation continues.
A funeral service was held today at Hultgren Funeral Home, 304 N. Main St., Wheaton. Further services and interment will be held in Calumet, Mich.