A family says two teenagers were not just siblings but “best friends” ahead of funeral arrangements set for next week after the two were killed in a crash caused by a drunk driver in McHenry.
The McHenry Police Department and McHenry Township Fire Protection District responded around 12:30 a.m. Monday to the area of Route 31, also known as Richmond Road, and McCullom Lake Road, for a vehicle crash with injuries.
McHenry Deputy Police Chief Thomas Walsh said officers arrived and found a three-vehicle crash.
A preliminary investigation determined a red 2006 Audi A4 had been traveling southbound on Richmond Road at a high rate of speed.
The Audi disregarded the red light and collided with a black 2015 Nissan Sentra, which was attempting to turn left onto McCullom Lake Road, in the intersection, Walsh said.
The collision also caused a 2003 Toyota Echo to be struck.
The Toyota was unoccupied and had been parked in a parking lot in the 1800 block of Richmond Road.
Walsh said there were two occupants in the Nissan, a 19-year-old woman and a 14-year-old boy.
Both of the occupants were pronounced dead at the scene by the McHenry County Coroner’s Office.
McHenry County Coroner Dr. Michael Rein identified the female victim on Tuesday as Perla Tejeda, 19, of McCullom Lake.
Rein did not identify the 14-year-old boy and only said that he was also a McCullom Lake resident.
Family identified him as Anthony Alexander Hernandez. The two teenagers were brother and sister.
Autopsies on Tejeda and Hernandez showed they both died as a result of blunt force injuries from the crash.
McHenry Township Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Chris Kozel said two of the victims were found on the ground and the third victim was trapped in his car and had to be extricated.
The driver of the Audi, identified as Jason K. Land, 18, of Fox River Grove, was transported to Northwestern Medicine Hospital McHenry with serious injuries, Walsh said.
Kozel said Land, who was the sole occupant of the Audi, was in critical but stable condition.
The McHenry County Regional Crash Assistance Team responded to the scene to assist in the investigation.
The team consists of police officers from the McHenry Police Department, Woodstock Police Department, Spring Grove Police Department, Harvard Police Department, Cary Police Department and Johnsburg Police Department.
Walsh said the intersection of Route 31 and McCullom Lake Road was partially closed for approximately seven hours on Monday morning while the crash team conducted its investigation.
Court records show Land was charged Monday afternoon with two counts of aggravated driving under the influence causing a crash involving death, a Class 2 felony, and four counts of driving under the influence, a Class A misdemeanor.
He was also cited for failing to reduce speed to avoid a crash.
A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court alleges Land was driving under the influence of alcohol with a blood alcohol content over 0.08 and him being under the influence was a proximate cause of the crash.
Land was released from the hospital on Monday afternoon, taken into custody and processed at the McHenry Police Department.
He was then transported to the McHenry County Jail and appeared for an Initial Appearance Court hearing on Tuesday afternoon.
The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Land pending trial, arguing he poses a danger to the community.
Prosecutors said Land was driving at a high rate of speed when he ran a red light and struck the other vehicle.
His blood alcohol content was 0.350, which is more than four times the legal limit of 0.08, prosecutors said.
McHenry County Judge Cynthia Lamb granted the state’s petition to detain following the court hearing.
Land remains held in the McHenry County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court again on August 7 for a status of preliminary hearing.
The family said in an obituary for the two that they were “taken too soon” and they leave behind another sibling.
“Perla and Tony had many close friends that will hold their memory in their hearts.”
The obituary said the two spent much of their time together and were not just siblings but best friends.
“Their laughter, kindness, and deep connection to each other brought joy to everyone around them. Their absence leaves an unimaginable void, and they will be deeply missed by their family and all who know them,” the obituary said.
A visitation will be held from 4-8 p.m. on Tuesday at Colonial Funeral Home in McHenry. A funeral mass will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at The Church of Holy Apostles in McHenry.
A GoFundMe account to help the family pay for the funeral has raised over $27,000 as of Saturday.