At 1:30 a.m. on August 24, there was a fatal vehicle collision on I-355. Driver Juan C. Vera Najera was headed northbound in a southbound lane near the Des Plaines River, where he struck another car head-on resulting in Vera Najera’s death. The roadway was closed for seven hours after the crash.

The identity of the other driver has not yet been confirmed and is currently hospitalized with severe injuries. The autopsy on Vera Najera will be released shortly and will confirm the cause of death. No other information has been revealed on the collision.

This incident has left Lemont drivers worried about driving on interstates. 

“I hear about a crash that’s near me [and] I’m like ‘oh wow, that could have been me.’ So, I guess that kind of gets into my head,” junior Annabelle Franzese said.

Severe accidents like this one  shows new drivers just how quickly a dangerous collision can happen on the road. 

“I definitely think it is [a wake-up call] like, ‘Hey these things can happen, [and] it can happen to you.’ Someone was killed in a matter of three seconds,” Franzese said.

New drivers, especially aged 15-20, commonly deal with a fear of crashing. Ideas like these often prevent teens from getting onto more busy roads like interstates. 

“I would say, if you hear about a crash, don’t let it scare you […] just accept it, think about what you’re doing and wherever you’re driving next,” Franzese said.