CHATAM, Illinois — Four children were killed and several others were injured when a car destroyed a building during an after-school program Monday afternoon in a town outside Springfield, Illinois, police said.
Officers responded around 3:20pm and called about fatally attacking three people outside, plunging into the building and bumping into another person before leaving the other side, said Chatham Police Department Deputy Director Scott Tarter.
Illinois State Police said it had issued a statement via email.
Several other people were injured and taken to the hospital, police said.
The uninjured driver was the only resident of the vehicle and was taken to hospital for evaluation, Tarter said. Illinois State Police did not say whether the driver was arrested or detained.
According to its website, the building and facilities are outdoors holding after-school programs and summer camps.
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“I am extremely saddened by the death of a child and the many injuries this afternoon in Chatham,” Illinois Gov. JB Pretzker said in a statement. “My heart is heavy for these families and the unimaginable sadness they are experiencing. Parents never have to endure.”
He said his office is monitoring the situation and is ready to lend support.
Chatham is a small town of about 15,000 people just outside Springfield, Illinois.
It was not immediately clear what led to the crash or whether it was intentional.
The death in Illinois comes two days after 11 people died in Vancouver, British Columbia, passing through crowded streets at the Filipino heritage festival.
