Boy, 6, Dies After Crashing ATV Into Tree In Joliet: Police

JOLIET — A 6-year-old Joliet child died over the weekend after crashing the all-terrain vehicle he was driving with an 8-year-old as his passenger, the Joliet Police Department announced.

“There are no words that can fully capture the sorrow of losing a child. Our hearts are broken for the family, whose unimaginable grief is shared by our officers and the entire Joliet community," Police Chief Bill Evans announced in Monday's press release.

According to Joliet police spokesman Dwayne English, the fatality happened on Saturday.

At 5:04 p.m., English said officers responded to the 900 block of Mission Boulevard for a crash involving an all-terrain vehicle. A 6-year-old boy was driving a REX110 ATV northbound on the sidewalk between the 900 and 1000 block of Mission Boulevard with an 8-year-old boy as his passenger, according to police.

The ATV lost control and struck a tree, ejecting the 6-year-old boy from the vehicle. Joliet Fire Department paramedics took him to Ascension St. Joseph Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 6:33 p.m., according to the Will County Coroner's Office.

The 8-year-old boy was not injured in the crash, police said. Accident investigators arrived at the scene to complete a full reconstruction of the crash as part of this investigation, which is still ongoing.

"In times like this, we must come together to offer our prayers, strength, and unwavering support to those who are suffering," Evans said in the press release. "I want to express my deepest gratitude to our first responders who arrived at the scene, demonstrating unwavering professionalism and compassion while facing such a heartbreaking tragedy. May this child's memory be a blessing and may we all take a moment to remember those most deeply affected by this tragedy.”

The coroner's office, which did not identify the boy, said an autopsy was performed Sunday. The boy's final cause and manner of death will be determined following autopsy, police and toxicological reports.