Worker from Aurora School Killed in Hit and Run

 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Car Accidents

A female student from the Northern Illinois Academy ran out to the road during the afternoon of Monday January 21^st.  The Academy is a residence and school for the mentally challenged located in Aurora at 988 Corporate Blvd.  Theresa M. Burns and an unnamed male staff member found the girl sitting in the middle of the road.

Theresa Burns was a well-respected staff member at the Academy although she had only been working there for a year.  She had formal training to work with mentally challenged individuals during moments of emotional crisis.  Burns, 57, of the 700 block of South River Road in Des Plaines, successfully moved the student out of harm’s way.

Unfortunately, both she and the other staff member were hit by a car while in the southbound lane of Church Road near the school.  A 1997 Chevrolet GEO Metro ran over and killed Burns and hurt the other staff member after 5:30 pm.  The staffer is a 25-year-old from Plainfield was hospitalized for non-life threatening injuries.

The driver of the GEO exited the vehicle and ran away on foot after the accident.  The police have reported that they have a good idea of who the driver was but have not been able to locate them yet.  Given the particulars of the car accident, the driver could be negligent for failing to yield to pedestrians in the middle of the road.

Car accidents can rip families apart if they are fatal.  If the person involved was the primary bread-winner for the family, it can also leave a family in a precarious situation financially.  Filing a wrongful death suit can reimburse the surviving family for lost wages and funeral costs.  If you have lost a loved one due to the negligence of another, contact a skilled personal injury attorney in Orland Park to discuss your case.