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McHenry I-90 wrong way crash: Mom, 31 & her 4 kids among 7 killed

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Jennifer Fernandez Illinois wrong way driver McHenry I-90 crash
Jennifer Fernandez, Carpentersville, Illinois woman id as McHenry I-90 wrong way driver that killed Lauren Dobosz of Rolling Meadows (pictured) and her four children, with 7 total killed.
Jennifer Fernandez Illinois wrong way driver McHenry I-90 crash
Pictured, Jennifer Fernandez, Carpentersville, Illinois woman id as McHenry I-90 wrong way driver that killed Lauren Dobosz of Rolling Meadows and her four children, with 7 total killed.

Jennifer Fernandez, Carpentersville, Illinois woman id as wrong way I-90 driver that killed Lauren Dobosz, Rolling Meadows mom & her 4 children, of total seven killed.

##Update, the sole surviving member of Sunday morning’s crash, Thomas Dobosz, the husband of Lauren Dobosz and the father of her four children killed in crash passed away from his injuries, Wednesday morning. 

A mother and her four children were among the seven people killed when a wrong-way driver slammed into a van on an Illinois interstate early Sunday morning.

The fiery crash happened around 2:11 a.m. on Interstate 90 in Hampshire, McHenry County, roughly 50 miles from Chicago.

Illinois State Police said Jennifer Fernandez, 22, of Carpentersville, Illinois was driving a 2010 Acura TSX the wrong way on I-90 for ‘unknown reasons’ when she smashed into the Chevrolet van being driven by Thomas Dobosz, 32, of Rolling Meadows, Illinois. Both vehicles burst into flames on impact. 

Fernandez was found dead on the scene, state troopers said, along with all of the passengers in Dobosz’ van, including his wife and four children. 

Lauren Dobosz, 31, of Rolling Meadows and five children, four of which were hers, were killed in the crash, according to Illinois State Police. The children were ages 5 to 13. The fifth child killed was a friend of one of the eldest daughters who was traveling with the family at the time of the crash according to WLS-TV.

McHenry I-90 wrong way crash driver that killed 7 was drunk says coroner

Dad dies after wrong way McHenry I-90 crash that killed 7, including wife, kids

Jennifer Fernandez Illinois wrong way driver McHenry I-90 crash
Pictured, Jennifer Fernandez, Carpentersville, Illinois woman id as wrong way driver of McHenry I-90 crash that killed 7 in total. Images via social media.

‘… luckily I was able to swerve out of the way, before it hit me…’ 

Thomas Dobosz, 32, was the sole survivor of the crash and remains hospitalized at Loyola University Medical Center. The man would pass away Wednesday morning as a result of injuries sustained. 

Local Illinois man Alan Wiedmeyer told the dailymail that he was on his way to a fishing tournament when around 2 a.m., he was nearly hit head-on by a car that had made a sudden U-turn on I-90 in front of him.

‘It headed straight for me as I was in the middle lane, and luckily I was able to swerve out of the way before it hit me,’ he said, adding that he flashed his lights at them but the car kept going. ‘The cars behind me also veered out of the way just in time.’ 

It wasn’t until some 15 minutes later that morning that the car he swerved away from was had struck a van, killing five children. 

‘My heart just sunk especially finding out that five kids had lost their lives,’ Wiedmeyer told the dailymail. 

The five children who were killed in the crash were two 13-year-old girls, a 7-year-old boy, a 6-year-old boy, and a 5-year-old girl, all of Rolling Meadows. Their names have not been released.

Neighbors told ABC7 Chicago that four of them were the couple’s kids.

Jennifer Fernandez Illinois wrong way driver McHenry I-90 crash
Jennifer Fernandez, Carpentersville, Illinois woman id as McHenry I-90 wrong way driver that killed Lauren Dobosz of Rolling Meadows (pictured) and her four children, with 7 total killed.
Jennifer Fernandez Illinois wrong way driver McHenry I-90 crash
McHenry I-90 wrong way: Pictured, Thomas and Lauren Dobosz of Rolling Meadows (pictured) and the couple’s four children, with 7 total killed. Only the husband survived. Image via FB.

Why was Fernandez traveling in the wrong direction? 

‘When you find out it is people you’ve known for many years, it kind of hits a little harder,’ neighbor David Moreno said. ‘Losing your family in a split-second like that is not going to be easy for anybody.’

‘My understanding is one of the eldest daughters had a friend with them,’ Moreno added. ‘I know it’s going to be devastating for the community just to know that it was somebody that people have known.’ 

Lauren according to Kenny Felton, a co-worker, started working at Lulu’s Gaming in Rolling Meadows two months ago. He described her as creative and always willing to help.

Investigators are working to determine why Fernandez was traveling in the wrong direction in the fatal crash that caused another collision according to FOX 32 Chicago. 

The fatal crash also caused another collision when a semi-truck had stopped to let a medical helicopter land, a second semi didn’t stop in time and rear ended it, officials said.

The trailer on one of them was torn open and the boxes inside scattered on the roadway. One person had minor injuries from the second crash.

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