McHenry West student identified as teen killed in Wauconda crash
Officials on Sunday identified a 16-year-old McHenry West High School student as the girl killed in a two-vehicle crash Friday night along Route 12 in Wauconda.
Danielle Thomas was pronounced dead at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Lake Barrington from injuries suffered in the crash, which Wauconda police said occurred about 10:15 p.m. Friday in the northbound lanes of Route 12, just south of Case Road.
In a Facebook post Sunday morning, McHenry Mayor Wayne Jett said Danielle would be "missed by so many."
"Friday night we lost a local (16-year-old) girl from West Campus High School," Jett wrote. "Please take a few minutes to pray for all who (were) involved in the horrible crash There has been so many people telling me that Danielle would light up a room with her smile, laughs and energy."
An autopsy is scheduled for Monday, Lake County Coroner Howard Cooper said Sunday.
Wauconda police said they and the Major Crash Assistance Team continue to investigate the deadly collision, and charges are pending.
According to police, Danielle was driving a Ford Focus north on Route 12 when it was struck head-on by a Hyundai Elantra that had crossed over from the southbound lanes. She was extricated from the car and taken to Good Shepherd, where she later died, police said.
The Hyundai's driver, an 18-year-old Cary man, also was taken to Good Shepherd for treatment, along with a 15-year-old girl and a 14-year-old who were riding in the car driven by Danielle.
A second 14-year-old girl in the Ford was taken to Northwestern McHenry Hospital in McHenry, where she was treated and released, police said.