martes, 23 de octubre de 2012

Boy, 15, killed when car crashes into Aurora home - Chicago Tribune

A 15-year-old boy was killed when he was thrown from a car that flipped and crashed into the garage of a house in Aurora early this morning, police said.

Devin Meadows, 15, a sophomore at Metea Valley High School, was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said. The driver and two other passengers -- all 15-year-old boys from Aurora and Naperville -- suffered minor injuries, according to Aurora police.

Police said the driver, who did not have a license, was speeding in his father's  2012 Chevy Malibu on Stonebridge Road  when he lost control on a curve, hit a curb and a berm, then went airborne and crashed into the garage in the 2700 block of Hamman Way around 1:40 a.m., police said.

"We are assuming speed had a lot to do with the crash," said Aurora Police Lt. Pete Inda.

Devin was thrown from the car. Police said he had been sitting in the backseat and was only one in the car not wearing a seat belt.

"We heard something and went out. We saw three kids running down the street," said a neighbor who lives three houses down from the accident. "One boy was just screaming hysterically. He had lost control of his car and crashed into the house.

"When we got down there, the young driver had flagged someone down to call 911. There was a young boy lying on the street. He was lying flat on his back, he must have hit his head. You could tell he was dead," the neighbor said, adding that the driver "was in shock."

Hari Chandra, his wife and two young children were shaken from sleep by what sounded like an explosion when the car hit their house. Chandra rushed outside to find the three boys who survived trying to help Meadows.

"The other kids will learn a lesson, but God didn't give him a chance," he said.

Hours later, the Chandra's house at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac in suburban Aurora was cordoned of by police tape, the garage partially collapsed.

All morning, Devin's friends gathered near yellow police tape at the crash scene, tracing the path of the car before it hit the garage.

Meadows loved sports and was on Metea Valley's football, basketball and track teams, according to his friends who gathered at the crash scene this morning.

"He had a competitive spirit but he was a really nice guy, too," said Tanner Stone, 16, who drove from the high school along with more than a dozen of Meadows friends.

Meadows played wide receiver and wore the number 30 for the Metea Mustangs, Stone said.

The two had attended an end-of-season football meeting after school Tuesday. "He was happy he finally became a varsity football player, but now he will never get the chance to play," Stone said.

Friends described Meadows as outgoing, unafraid to issue a friendly challenge to upper-class players on the field. 

Tom High, 16, a Metea junior, said he was among the first people to befriend Meadows after he and his family moved to Aurora about four years ago.

"I was just skating around and I asked him if he wanted to skate," High said. "I remember thinking he was really nice and funny."

High said he wrote a message to Devin on large sheets of paper set out at the high school.

"I wrote, 'Love you bro,' and I couldn't write anymore," he said, dabbing the corner of his eye with his sleeve.

Both High and Stone had been with Meadows over the weekend. "We were just hanging out at my house. We took him home around 8:30. I still can't believe this," Stone said. "He was so talented."  

The principal of Devin's school released a statement saying a crisis team would be at Metea Valley "for as long as necessary."

"It is with great sadness that I write to share with you that the Metea Valley community mourns the loss of sophomore student Devin Meadows," Jim Schmid wrote. "Please keep the Meadows family in your thoughts during this very difficult time."

dawilliams@tribune.com

Twitter: @neacynewslady

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