The Glenview Police Department released a statement Wednesday after a tragic car crash earlier this week left a 17-year-old Glenbrook South High School student killed and three others hospitalized.
"The Glenview Police Department investigation of the fatal accident that occurred late Sunday night is ongoing," the statement began. The full statement that follows can be found below:
"The driver of the second vehicle involved in the crash has been receiving medical treatment since Sunday, and interviews are being conducted with all parties and witnesses involved in the accident. As is standard for this kind of investigation, we are collecting and analyzing all evidence to help determine the cause of the accident and support any possible charges, should this case warrant them. We’ve already been in contact with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office to have the case reviewed for charges, and we’re moving as fast as is possible without compromising the investigation."
In a Facebook post, Glenview police also asked any witnesses of the crash to come forward.
The statements come as vigils at the crash site continued, and family and friends prepare to lay Marko Niketic, 17, who was killed in the crash, to rest at a funeral and visitation Thursday.
School officials said Marko, a GBS senior, was weeks away from graduation and had planned to attend Miami University in Ohio in the fall.
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What we know about the crash
According to Glenview Police, the crash took place just after 11 p.m. Sunday in the 1200 block of East Lake Avenue near Meadow Lane in Glenview. Lake Avenue between Waukegan and Wagner Roads were closed for hours after the incident, and at times in the following days and evenings as growing vigils near the site of the crash continued.
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Marko, who was driving a silver Mercedes with one passenger inside, was struck by the driver of a Ford Mustang headed westbound, police added.
Both vehicles suffered extensive damage, coming to a halt across a street after hitting a wooden fence, according to authorities. Marko was pronounced dead on the scene, police said.
Three other people were transported to a nearby hospital, police said. The driver of the Mustang was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries, according to authorities. The two others -- both passengers in each of the vehicles -- were last listed in critical condition.
Further details about the Mustang driver and other passengers were not released. According to police, the crash remains under investigation.
Photos and videos from the scene early Monday morning showed two badly damaged cars, with airbags inside both cars deployed. Debris from the accident was scattered along the roadway, including pieces from a downed wooden fence.
In one photo, the back and driver's side of one of Mercedes appeared to be completely destroyed.
'Can't really process it'
Monday afternoon, Glenbrook South High School released a letter to families, calling the crash "tragic."
"Dear GBS Students and Families," the letter begins. "We are sorry to inform you that GBS senior Marko Niketic tragically passed away in an accident that occurred last night."
The message, from GBS Principal Dr. Barbara Georges, went on to say that the school was respecting the family's need for privacy, and that it was offering services to students and faculty.
"Death can be difficult for us to understand, especially when it is sudden," the letter continued. "Today, students may feel shock, sadness, or confusion. What is most important is that we care for and support each other."
According to the school, the crash occurred just days before Niketic's senior prom and three weeks before graduation.
Throughout the week, groups of emotional family and friends visited the crash site, many placing candles, photos and bouquets of flowers at the scene.
"He's one of those people, you meet him, and he's glowing. The most genuine human ever," friend Preston Shute said, holding back tears. "He had a lot of stuff ahead of him. I can't really process it."
