The Crittenden Automotive Library

Woodstock-area fatal crash

Woodstock-area fatal crash

Gus Philpott
Woodstock Advocate
July 2, 2012

Two Woodstock teenagers died early Sunday morning in a single-car crash at 14217 Davis Road, east of Stieg Rd.

By 10:00PM yesterday I had received a call that a police chase was involved, but the Northwest Herald is not reporting that. The crash is being investigated by the McHenry County Sheriff's Department. If a chase was involved, then mostly it would have been a Woodstock Police officer or Sheriff's Department deputy after the 2010 Hyundai Elantra.

The first Northwest Herald online article gave the ages as 16 for both Alec Kaiser and Jacob Norys, who died in the crash. Aside from the question of why two 16-year-olds were out at 2:00AM, where were they before the crash? Were they at a party? Where was the party? How many were there?

If there was a chase, where did it start? And why? Was the pursuit authorized by a supervisor? At any point did the officer (or deputy) think that high speeds on westbound Davis Road were more dangerous than catching a driver? Had the officer gotten close enough to ID the car?

Davis Road is a "roller-coaster" road with a 45MPH speed limit. Sight distances are limited. If a car is tearing along at night, the driver will lose sight of the roadway below the headlights as he tops a hill. If speed is higher than 45MPH (say, 60MPH or higher), an inexperienced driver might tend to steer a little to the right.

There is a tire track on the right shoulder just off the pavement. If that track is from this wreck, the driver would have corrected to the left. As the car went to the left, skid marks begin in the middle of the road and move in the direction of the south shoulder. Beyond that are brush, a tree, bushes and a brick column.

Perhaps no chase was involved. If not, how did the Sheriff's Dept. learn of the crash? Was it called in by an area resident?

If there was a party, was alcohol available at the party? That's an easy conclusion to which to jump. It should quickly be disclaimed, if there was strong parental supervision at the party and no alcohol or drugs.

Woodstock High School has an active program to discourage drinking (and drug) use, but how effective is it? I have questioned the effectiveness for several years.

In the June 27 edition of The Woodstock Independent appeared this box ad (public service announcement): "Of those students reporting they had drank (sic) alcohol, 10% of them started before age 10." The source? WCUSD200 2010 IYS Results

What wasn't reported in the small box ad was how large the survey was, how many (and what age-groups) reported drinking alcohol, and what the raw number was for that 10% who started drinking before age 10. What does "drinking" constitute? The definition in the survey is very important.