Woman facing child endangerment charges in crash near Hampshire that injured seven
A Streator woman is facing charges after she and six others - including five children - were injured in a vehicle crash Saturday evening, the Kane County sheriff's office said Sunday.
A news release said 22-year-old Michele Sotelo failed to stop at a stop sign while driving north on Walker Road and attempting to turn west on Route 72 at about 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Her vehicle was then hit by a semi truck heading east on Route 72.
Sotelo now faces one charge of driving without a valid license, one count of operating an uninsured motor vehicle, four counts of child endangerment and four counts of failure to restrain a child in a child safety seat.
Investigators determined only one of the children was in a child safety seat at the time of the accident, the sheriff's office said.
Sotelo and four of the children, all 5 and younger, were taken to Amita Health Saint Joseph Hospital in Elgin with minor injuries. An 8-year-old child was flown to a Chicago-area hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries.
Another passenger - an Aurora woman who is the mother of all the children involved - was flown to a Rockford Hospital with serious injuries.
The driver of the semi was uninjured.
Sotelo was released with a notice to appear in court due to her ongoing medical treatment.