Woman crashes into van on I-90, killing 7, including 5 kids from Rolling Meadows: ISP

HAMPSHIRE, Ill. (WLS) -- Five children are among the seven people killed in a fiery, head-on crash on Interstate 90 near mile marker 33 in Hampshire early Sunday, according to Illinois State Police.

A neighbor told ABC7 that the sole survivor lost his wife and all of his children in that crash.

A vehicle was driving the wrong way on westbound I-90 near Anthony Rd. when it struck another vehicle head-on around 2:11 a.m., state police said. Both vehicles became fully engulfed in flames.

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Seven people were killed, including a woman and five children in the van and a second woman in the other car, state police said.

According to the preliminary investigation, 22-year-old Jennifer Fernandes, of Carpentersville, was traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes when she struck a van with seven occupants head on, ISP said.

Fernandes was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.

Thomas Dobosz, 32 of Rolling Meadows, was driving the van that was struck. He was airlifted to Loyola University Medical Center with critical injuries, according to officials.

Lauren Dobosz, 31, as well as five children, were all killed in the crash, ISP said. The children included two 13 year old girls, a 7 year old boy, a 6 year old boy and a 5 year old girl, according to police.

"When you find out it's people you've known for many years, it kind of hits a little harder," said David Moreno, a neighbor of the Dobosz family. "I just remember the kids being out there playing all the time, especially in the summer time. You'll hear them screaming, yelling, having fun."

Moreno said four of the children were the couple's kids.

"My understanding is one of the eldest daughters had a friend with them," he said. "I know it's going to be devastating for the community just to know that it was somebody that people have known."

The fatal crash also caused another one collision.

When a semi-truck had stopped to let a medical helicopter land, a second semi didn't stop in time and rear ended it.

When a semi-truck had stopped to let a medical helicopter land, a second semi didn't stop in time and rear ended it, officials said.

The trailer on one of them was torn open and the boxes inside scattered on the roadway.

One person had minor injuries from the second crash.

The crash temporarily shut down both sides of the interstate in McHenry County overnight. The westbound lanes were closed near milepost 33 for several hours, reopening to traffic around 11:30 a.m.