A teen driver who killed himself and two other people, including a mother of three who was a school aide, in a high-speed and fiery crash near Woodstock was driving under the influence of drugs.
The multi-vehicle crash occurred around 12:02 p.m. on October 27 in the 13400 block of Davis Road in unincorporated Woodstock.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office said at the time that a 2021 Dodge Challenger Hellcat was traveling westbound on Davis Road.
The Dodge, driven by Alex Gonzalez, 18, of Harvard, attempted to pass a 2021 Jeep Wrangler in a posted no-passing zone, sheriff’s officials said.
The Dodge struck an eastbound 2022 Volvo XC 90 at the top of a hillcrest, causing the Volvo to exit the roadway to the south.
After the impact, the Dodge rotated while continuing westbound and exiting the roadway to the north where it caught fire.
The Jeep was struck by debris from the crash but managed to avoid a direct impact with the other vehicles, sheriff’s officials said.
Woodstock Fire/Rescue District Public Information Officer Alex Vucha said firefighters arrived within four minutes and located a severe crash with the Dodge fully engulfed in flames.
Firefighters deployed a hose line to contain the vehicle fire, which had started to spread toward a nearby wooded area, Vucha said.
Additional fire crews worked to extricate a child passenger from the Volvo after they were entrapped during the crash.
Vucha said the seriously injured child was transported by ambulance to the helipad at Northwestern Medicine Hospital in Woodstock.
A LifeNet medical helicopter landed and flew the child to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood.
Two occupants were located inside the Dodge after the fire was extinguished, Vucha said.
Both of them were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver was identified as Gonzalez and the passenger was identified as Miguel A. Martinez Santiago, 17, of Harvard.
A toxicology report showed Gonzalez had active and inactive THC metabolites in his system and also tested positive for Delta-9 THC, according to the Northwest Herald.
The driver of the Volvo, identified as Amy Roeder, 47, of Woodstock, was also pronounced dead at the scene, McHenry County Coroner Dr. Michael Rein said.
Roeder did not have anything in her system except caffeine.
Roeder was employed as a District 200 Response to Intervention associate at Westwood Elementary School in Woodstock.
Woodstock Community Unit School District 200 Director of Communications Kevin Lyons said Roeder was a “vital part” of Westwood Elementary and District 200 as both an employee and a parent volunteer.
Roeder worked with dozens of students who needed small group and individual attention to assist with their reading proficiency since the fall of 2021. “She was also an invaluable parent volunteer in many ways at several schools,” Lyons said.
An obituary said Roeder was a 1995 graduate of Marengo High School and obtained a degree from Parkland College to pursue a career in dental hygiene.
She practiced for 12 years at Marengo Family Dental in her hometown before becoming a full-time stay-at-home mom in 2011 and then accepting the teacher aide position in 2021.
Roeder leaves behind three children, ages 11, 16, and 18.
“She was a mom that put every ounce of her being into her family. Whether it was running to soccer or basketball, baking her all-too-famous desserts for a birthday party, decorating the yard for Homecoming group pictures, going to an orchestra concert, or volunteering at one of the kids’ schools, she lived her life for her family,” her obituary said.
The obituary called Roeder a “giving and selfless person” who had a powerful impact on many young lives in her community.
“Amy’s love and passion for life, along with her trademark heart-shaped smile, were contagious. If you were lucky enough to know Amy, you know that she was always up for a good time,” the obituary said.
Roeder’s 11-year-old daughter was the child who was inside the vehicle when the crash occurred. She was in the intensive care unit of the hospital following the crash.
Vucha said the driver and young passenger in the Jeep were unharmed and did not require medical treatment.
The sheriff’s office said the Dodge was speeding and driving recklessly at the time of the crash. Alcoholic beverage containers were found at the scene.
The occupants in the Volvo were both wearing seat belts and the airbags deployed, sheriff’s officials said.