Conant High School junior killed in Schaumburg crash
A 16-year-old Conant High School student was killed in a single-vehicle crash Sunday night in Schaumburg, police say.
Graham W. Fath, who lived in an unincorporated area near Schaumburg, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash in the 1400 block of Wiley Road shortly before 9 p.m. Sunday, police said Monday.
The Cook County medical examiner's office determined his cause of death to be multiple injuries from an accidental motor vehicle crash.
Fath was traveling east on Wiley Road when the 2010 Subaru Outback he was driving crossed into the westbound lane, left the road and struck a utility pole, according to the preliminary investigation. The vehicle caught fire and was extinguished by Schaumburg firefighters.
Police believe speed was a factor in the crash.
Fath was a junior at Conant High School in Hoffman Estates, Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 spokesman Tom Petersen said.
Conant Principal Julie Nowak sent out a message to the school community about Fath's death while the district's grief team was made available to students and staff.
"The Conant community is deeply saddened by the unexpected passing of one of our students," Nowak wrote. "Graham was an active member of our band and a student broadcaster for sporting events, along with participating in several other activities. He was also involved in the Hoffman Estates Police Explorer Program."
In 2014, Fath was one of four Schaumburg-area boys awarded the Carnegie Medal for heroism for saving a Niles police commander and his 10-year-old son from drowning on the Vermilion River near Oglesby, Illinois in June 2013. One of the other recipients was Fath's older brother, Colin.
Schaumburg police continue to investigate the crash with the assistance of the Major Case Assistance Team.
• Staff writer Chacour Koop contributed to this story.