Funeral services were held Monday for a mother, father and four children who died on their way to a vacation after their van was struck by a wrong-way driver on Interstate 90 in McHenry County.
Thomas Dobosz, 32, and Lauren Dobosz, 31, along with their children Emma, Lucas, Nicholas and Ella — whose ages ranged from 6 to 13, died following the July 31 crash.
The family was traveling westbound on Interstate 90 at mile marker 33.5 in their 2005 Chevrolet full-size van around 2:10 a.m.
A gray 2010 Acura TSX was traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes for unknown reasons, Illinois State Police said.
The Acura struck the Chevrolet head-on. Both vehicles became fully engulfed in flames, police said.
The entire family, except for Thomas Dobosz, immediately died in the crash. One of the kids’ friends, Katriona Koziara, also died.
Thomas Dobosz was airlifted to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood with severe injuries, fire officials said.
He was pronounced dead days later, his family and state police said.
The driver of the Acura, identified as Jennifer Fernandez, 22, of Carpentersville, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Dobosz family were Rolling Meadows residents.
Colleagues of Lauren Dobosz created a GoFundMe account that raised over $100,000 for the funeral expenses.
“Lauren always made a great impression on everyone she met, she was full of life, laughter, and always a good time,” Lisa Torres said.
“We’re going to miss you Lauren and your spunky, sweet, sassy kids. We shall shine bright this year,” Torres said.
A relative of the Dobosz family said the family was headed on vacation to Minnesota when the crash occurred.
A public visitation was held for the family Saturday afternoon at Salerno Galewood Chapels in Chicago and a private visitation was held Sunday afternoon.
A mass and funeral service took place Monday morning at St. Ferdinand Catholic Church in Chicago.
“We would like to thank God for giving us Thomas, Lauren, Emma, Lucas, Nicolas and Ella, and for giving us the time we had. We would like to thank God for giving us strength the last four weeks and are hoping he gives us just a little more. We’ll definitely need it,” said Agnes Vasilkovski, Thomas Dobosz’s sister, ABC7 Chicago reported.
“Tom had met his perfect match in Lauren. Even though I didn’t know Lauren as a child, I did know her as a wife, mother, as she would say, a sister,” Vasilkovski said at the funeral service.
“Her children were the most important things in her life… As Tom and Lauren ended every phone conversation, we would like to say, ‘love you babe, until we meet again,'” Vasilkovski added, according to ABC7.
The burial was held at All Saints Cemetery in Des Plaines.