Lawsuit filed in deadly Illinois after-school camp crash that killed 4 children, counselor

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed following a 2025 crash in Chatham, Illinois, that killed five people at an after-school camp.

What we know:

The lawsuit, filed Sunday in Sangamon County Court, stems from an April 29, 2025, crash at the YNOT After School Camp.

According to local police, a 44-year-old woman driving an SUV left County Highway 5A, traveled through a cornfield and crashed into the building. The vehicle went through the structure, striking several people.

Killed in the crash were 7-year-old Kathryn Corley, 7-year-old Alma Buhnerkempe, 8-year-old Bradley James Lund, 8-year-old Ainsley Johnson and 18-year-old counselor Rylee Britton.

Kathryn Corley, Ainsley Johnson, Alma Buhnerkempe, Bradley Lund and Rylee Britton | Provided

The three girls and Britton died at the scene. Lund died weeks later at the hospital.

At least six other children were seriously injured.

The lawsuit names the camp, the driver — identified as Marianne Akers — and other parties connected to the building’s construction. The Village of Chatham is included in the lawsuit to provide information, but is not currently being sued for damages.

Driver who smashed through Illinois after-school building may have had health emergency

No decisions have been made on whether to file charges against the 44-year-old driver, said Illinois State Police.

At the time of the incident, police said Akers was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol and may have had a medical emergency.

Dig deeper:

According to the complaint, the building was constructed in 2012 in a location that violated Illinois safety rules.

State regulations at the time prohibited permanent youth camp facilities from being built within 100 feet of a highway. The lawsuit alleges YNOT was located closer than that to County Highway 5A, a heavily traveled road.

Law enforcement is stationed outside the YNOT After School Camp in Chatham, Illinois, where five people were killed in a crash Monday, April 28, 2025. (Jeremy Gorner/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images) (Getty Images )

The complaint also claims the property lacked barriers or other protections that could have stopped a vehicle from entering the building, and that no meaningful safety upgrades were made in the years since construction.

What they're saying:

"No family should ever have to endure the unimaginable loss of a child," said attorney Lance Northcutt, who is representing the victims' families. "Kathryn, Alma, Bradley, Ainsley and Rylee had their whole lives ahead of them."

"Chatham is a tight-knit community, and this tragedy has deeply affected countless families. These children were irreplaceable. With this lawsuit, the families seek accountability for this profound loss and meaningful safety improvements to prevent a tragedy like this from ever happening again."

What's next:

Attorneys are expected to share more details during a news conference Wednesday afternoon in Chicago.