Mother, school assistant, remembered as ‘giving and selfless person’ after killed by reckless driver near Woodstock

A mother-of-three and school assistant is being remembered for her “heart-shaped smile” and her selfless person after she was killed by a reckless driver in a triple fatal crash near Woodstock.

The Woodstock Fire/Rescue District, the Woodstock Police Department and the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 13400 block of Davis Road in unincorporated Woodstock on October 27 around 12:02 a.m. for a report of a multi-vehicle crash involving entrapment.

The sheriff’s office said a 2021 Dodge Challenger Hellcat was traveling westbound on Davis Road.

The Dodge attempted to pass a 2021 Jeep Wrangler in a posted exclusion zone, sheriff’s officials said.

The Dodge struck an eastbound 2022 Volvo XC 90 at the top of a hilltop, causing the Volvo to leave the southbound roadway.

After impact, the Dodge spun as it continued west and left the northbound roadway, where it burst into flames.

The Jeep was struck by debris from the crash but managed to avoid a direct collision with the other vehicles, sheriff’s officials said.

Woodstock Fire/Rescue District Public Information Officer Alex Vucha said firefighters arrived within four minutes and located a serious crash with the Dodge fully engulfed in flames.

Firefighters deployed a hoseline to contain the vehicle fire, which began spreading into a nearby wooded area, Vucha said.

Additional firefighters tried to free a child passenger from the Volvo after he became trapped during the crash.

Vucha said the critically injured child was transported by ambulance to the helipad at Northwestern Medicine Hospital in Woodstock.

A LifeNet medical helicopter landed and took the child to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood.

Two occupants were inside the Dodge after the fire was extinguished, Vucha said.

Both were pronounced dead at the scene. According to McHenry County Coroner Dr. Michael Rein, they were identified as Alex Gonzalez, 18, of Harvard, and Miguel A. Martinez Santiago, 17, of Harvard.

The driver of the Volvo, identified as Amy Roeder, 47, of Woodstock, was also pronounced dead at the scene, Rein said.

Roeder served as a District 200 Response to Intervention officer at Westwood Elementary School in Woodstock.

Kevin Lyons, director of communications for Woodstock Community Unit School District 200, said Roeder was an “essential part” of Westwood Elementary and District 200 as both an employee and parent volunteer.

“This is a terrible loss for her wonderful family and for our entire school community. We all mourn along with the many who loved Amy,” Lyons said.

Since fall 2021, Roeder has been working with dozens of students who needed small group and individual attention to improve their reading skills. “She was also an invaluable parent volunteer in many ways at several schools,” Lyons said.

An obituary published Wednesday said Roeder had graduated from Marengo High School in 1995 and earned a degree from Parkland College to pursue a career in dental hygiene.

She practiced at Marengo Family Dental in her hometown for 12 years before becoming a full-time stay-at-home mom in 2011 and then accepting a teacher’s assistant position in 2021.

Roeder is survived by three children, ages 11, 16 and 18.

“She was a mother who poured every ounce of her being into her family. Whether she was going to football or basketball, baking her all-too-famous desserts for a birthday party, decorating the yard for group photos at Homecoming, going to an orchestra concert, or volunteering at one of the children’s schools, she lived her life. to her family,” her obituary said.

The obituary called Roeder a “giving and selfless person” who had a powerful impact on many young lives in her community.

“Amy’s love and passion for life, along with her signature heart-shaped smile, were contagious. If you were lucky enough to know Amy, you know she was always up for a good time,” the obituary said.

Roeder’s 11-year-old daughter was the child in the vehicle when the crash occurred. She was in the hospital’s intensive care unit, but is on the road to recovery.

Vucha said the driver and young passenger in the Jeep were uninjured and did not require medical treatment.

The sheriff’s office said the Dodge was speeding and driving recklessly at the time of the crash.

Containers of alcoholic beverages were found at the scene and it is not yet known if alcohol was also a contributing factor.

The Volvo’s occupants were both wearing seat belts and the airbags were deployed, sheriff’s officials said.

A private family service for Roeder with a celebration of life will be held at a late date, the woman’s obituary said.