Driver in Illinois after-school program crash that killed 4 was negative for alcohol and other substances

The driver who crashed into an Illinois after-school program, killing four students, was not under the influence of alcohol and controlled substances.

A toxicology report for Marianne Akers, 44, came back negative, and no charges have been filed, Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly said Thursday. Akers was taken to a hospital and provided both blood and urine samples for testing.

Investigators are reviewing evidence that a medical emergency may have led to the crash into the building at YNOT After School Camp in the town of Chatham.

“The evidence is still being developed,” Kelly said. “There’s a lot of work still to do, and we’re going to keep doing that until all possible leads and explanations have been exhausted.”

Kelly emphasized that the investigation continues and said state police are not jumping to conclusions about the cause of the crash.

“There’s obviously high emotion in something like this, and we have people that are impacted by this or part of this community,” he said. “But the Illinois State Police, our view … is to relentlessly pursue those facts, no matter where they take us.”

Akers was behind the wheel of a vehicle that slammed into the east side of the building around 3:20 p.m. Monday and exited through the west wall.

Four girls — Rylee Britton, 18; Ainsley Johnson, 8; Alma Buhnerkempe, 7; and Kathryn Corley, 7; — were pronounced dead at the scene, according to the county coroner’s office.

Six other people were taken to a local hospital for treatment. Two were released by Wednesday, but four others remained hospitalized, state police said.

Jamie Loftus, founder of YNOT Outdoors, said in a statement Tuesday that security cameras showed the vehicle coming toward the building at a “high rate of speed.”

“I cannot gather the words to express much of anything that will make sense in print,” Loftus said. “However, I do know that our families who suffered loss and injury today are hurting very, very badly.”