A wiffle ball celebration and a funeral were held Monday for an 11-year-old boy from Wonder Lake, whose “presence lit up every room,” after he died in a crash near Marengo.
Alan Kroll, 11, of Wonder Lake, died on June 23 following a two-vehicle crash in the area of Kishwaukee Valley Road and Deerpass Road in unincorporated Marengo.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office said a 2016 Ford Transit Van, driven by an 18-year-old Huntley man, was traveling northbound on Deerpass Road.
The Ford was approaching the intersection with Kishwaukee Valley Road, which has a stop sign.
A 2012 Audi Q5, driven by a 29-year-old Wonder Lake man, was traveling eastbound on Kishwaukee Valley Road and did not have a stop sign.
The driver of the Ford failed to yield at the stop sign for unknown reasons, the sheriff’s office said.
A T-bone collision occurred between the Audi and Ford, resulting in the Audi striking a tree on the north side of the roadway.
A medical helicopter was called to the scene for Kroll, who was a passenger in the Audi and suffered critical injuries.
Marengo Fire and Rescue Districts Public Information Officer Alex Vucha said Kroll was trapped in the vehicle and the fire department had to extricate him.
Kroll was transported by ambulance, with the MD-1 physician and helicopter crew on board, to Javon Bea Hospital — Riverside in Rockford.
The sheriff’s office said Kroll later died after being transported to the hospital.
The Winnebago County Coroner’s Office said Kroll’s cause of death was blunt trauma to the head due to the crash. He died shortly after arriving at the hospital.
The driver of the Ford was transported by ambulance to Northwestern Medicine Hospital in Woodstock with minor injuries.
The driver of the Audi was transported to Northwestern Medicine Hospital in Huntley with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
Airbags deployed in both vehicles and the driver and passenger in the Audi were wearing their seatbelts, the sheriff’s office said. The driver of the Ford was not wearing his seatbelt.
Alcohol is not believed to be a factor in the crash and the circumstances of the crash are under investigation by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Major Traffic Crash Investigation Unit and the Winnebago County Coroner’s Office.
McHenry Mayor Wayne Jett asked the community to pray for Kroll’s family and said the boy was “always full of joy.”
The boy’s mother, Breanna Tessier, said her son was “such an amazing person. ”
He loved going to the park and running around with his two brothers, Jayce and Charlie.
“Walking around the square in Woodstock, ending at the candy shop there so he could pick some candy out. Alan loved mint chocolate chip ice cream. We would often end up going to Dunkin Donuts in Woodstock to grab a giant chocolate and sprinkle dipped cone,” Tessier said.
“His brothers miss him deeply and we will always keep his memory alive by going to rush creek in Harvard for his birthday to fish,” she said.
A visitation was held from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday, with a mass that followed at 12 p.m., at The Church of Holy Apostles in McHenry.
A large number of people gathered for wiffle ball games and lunch at the McHenry VFW following the services as part of a celebration of life for Kroll.
Children who attended were asked to wear their favorite jersey in honor of the boy.
An obituary for Kroll said he was “taken from us too soon.”
“A beloved friend to many, he earned the admiration of his peers and teammates, cherishing deep, lasting friendships throughout his unforgettable life,” the obituary said.
McHenry Cobras Travel Baseball said Kroll was one of their athletes on the 12U team.
“We are devastated by the tragic loss of one of our athletes. Please keep our 12U team, their families, and all of us in the Cobras family in your thoughts and prayers,” the team said.
On Wednesday, the Cobras played in McHenry and won 14-2.
Flowers were laid in the center field and the team did not play a center fielder in memory of Kroll.
“Alan was truly extraordinary—his presence lit up every room he found himself in. He was a proud athlete who loved playing baseball and basketball, skiing, fishing, and riding his dirt bike and ATVs with fearless joy,” his obituary said.
The obituary said that Kroll showed “kindness, gratitude, and a warm embrace for everyone he met.”
“Though his time was far too short, his joy, love, and creativity will forever shine in our hearts. He is now in the arms of God, watching over us as our guardian angel from above,” the obituary added.
Montini Catholic School in McHenry said Kroll was a sixth-grader at the school.
“Alan was truly extraordinary. His presence lit up every room, his laugh was infectious, and his adventurous spirit knew no bounds. A proud Mustang, Alan found joy in every moment—whether he was tearing up the baseball field, holding the door open for others, fishing quietly by the water, or flying across trails on his dirt bike and ATV. He was fearless, curious, and full of life,” the school said in a statement.