As police investigate the crash that killed a 5-year-old girl walking with her family on a Highland Park sidewalk, the girl’s two brothers, ages 4 and 2, were released from a hospital Tuesday while her mother’s condition was listed as fair.
Highland Park police identified the mother as Modesta Sacramento, 25, of Highland Park. She is recuperating at Evanston Hospital, where her daughter, Jacklyn Santos-Sacramento, was taken after the crash about 2:30 p.m. Monday. The girl died about 5 p.m. that day, police said.
Relatives of the girl remained too grief-stricken Tuesday to speak about the crash.
“We’re just so upset at this tragedy,” said a man who was reached at a phone number associated with Modesta Sacramento and who identified himself as a relative. “The family cannot talk right now.”
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Ken LaRue said blood samples from the driver, identified by police as an 18-year-old woman from Highland Park, have been sent to the Illinois State Police Crime Lab. No charges had been filed by late Tuesday. The driver was the vehicle’s only occupant, police said.
“We’re certainly looking at the possibility impairment was involved here,” said Highland Park Deputy Chief George Pfutzenreuter.
After striking the family, the vehicle moved backward, possibly striking one of the victims again, the deputy chief said.
A 17-year-old at Deerfield High School told the Tribune he was riding with his mother when they turned onto Central Avenue and saw a woman in a black Lexus cut across two lanes of traffic and strike the family.
The teenager said he saw the vehicle back over the family after the initial crash.
Then the car slowly rolled toward them again, said the teen, adding that he put himself between the car and the people who were injured on the ground.
“I pushed as hard as I could,” he said. “The little boy had blood running down his face, the little girl was ominously silent and the mother was wailing on her cellphone.”
While others at the scene were hopeful that the girl would survive, the teen said he knew in his heart that her injuries were grave.
“I knew this entire family’s life had been shattered,” he said.
Jeff Danna is a Tribune reporter; Susan Berger is a freelance reporter. Tribune reporter Ellen Jean Hirst and freelancer reporter Ruth Fuller contributed.
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