Park Ridge, Des Plaines teens killed in vehicle crash near Southern Illinois University in Carbondale: police
Two Southern Illinois University freshmen, one from Park Ridge and one from Des Plaines, died in a vehicle crash in Carbondale early Monday morning, according to Carbondale police.
Police say they responded to a crash on the 1500 block of North Illinois Avenue, Carbondale, involving two trucks in a head-on crash around 7:45 a.m. The lone occupant of one of the vehicles suffered serious injuries and was taken to Memorial Hospital of Carbondale. The other vehicle’s occupants, 19-year-old Wolfgang Gustaveson of Park Ridge and 18-year-old Francis Martinez of Des Plaines, died.
Martinez was a 2023 graduate from Elk Grove High School, said Dave Beery, a spokesperson for High School District 214. Gustaveson was a 2023 graduate of Maine East High School, officials at Maine Township High School District 207 said.
The two teens lived on SIU’s campus, said police in a news release. “The City of Carbondale is extremely sorry for the loss of these young men, and extends our deepest sympathy to their families and loved ones,” said the press release.
Later on Monday evening during School District 207′s regularly scheduled board meeting, Superintendent Ken Wallace led a moment of silence to honor Gustaveson, whom the district had honored with a “best of the month” award in February for his achievements in technology and innovation.
“I remember telling him last year to think about coming back and teaching,” said Wallace. “(We) just want to take a moment to recognize.”
Ken Adkins, a teacher in Career and Technical Education at Maine East, taught Gustaveson for three years in Auto classes and his Engineering Design and Capstone class, according to the statement he made for Gustaveson’s award in February.
“Wolf was a special person,” said Adkins. “He was always smiling and he loved being around people. He was part of our Gifted Lyceum program, he was a diligent problem solver and loved school and learning. He was passionate about cars and was at Southern Illinois specifically for their automotive program. Wolf was going to have a major impact on the world and this is just devastating news.”
Gustaveson said his dream was to work on high-performance luxury cars and that he was open to teaching.
Elk Grove High School Principal Paul Kelly issued the following statement: “Yesterday morning, Class of 2023 graduate Francis “Frank” Martinez was tragically killed in an auto accident near Carbondale, Illinois. Frank was studying Automotive Technology at Southern Illinois University. He was a talented young man who was involved in every type of academic challenge during his time at EGHS, and he was on the path to success in a future he had chosen for himself after excelling here in our school. Frank’s passing is an unfathomable loss to those who knew and loved him.”
