7 dead in wrong-way crash on northern Illinois interstate

HAMPSHIRE, Ill. (AP) — A crash involving a wrong-way car on an interstate in northern Illinois left seven people dead Sunday, including five children, authorities said.

The crash occurred around 2 a.m. on Interstate 90 in McHenry County, roughly 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Chicago.

Lauren Dobosz, 31, of Rolling Meadows and five children, all in a Chevrolet full-size van, were killed, according to Illinois State Police. The children were ages 5 to 13.

Jennifer Fernandez, 22, of Carpentersville, was driving an Acura TSX and also died, police said.

Fernandez was driving in the wrong direction “for unknown reasons” before striking the van in the westbound lanes of I-90, police said, adding that both vehicles were “engulfed in flames.”

The driver of the van, Thomas Dobosz, 32, was seriously injured.