12-year-old Illinois girl hit, killed by car while running from another crash, police say

A 12-year-old girl in Illinois will be laid to rest on Friday after she was hit and killed in a car crash. The child was running away from a separate car collision on the way home from church, according to Plainfield Police Department.

Police have identified the young girl as Gianna Lamb.

According to police, units were dispatched to the scene of two separate crashes. The first involved a 2009 Nissan Rogue and a 2004 Toyota Rav 4. The Toyota struck the driver’s side of the Nissan after the Nissan “did not properly yield” to the oncoming Toyota at the intersection. In the second crash, a passenger of the Nissan, Gianna Lamb, exited the car and fled the scene. Lamb was then hit by a Ford Fusion which was headed northbound Rt. 59. She was transported to Ascension Saint Joseph Hospital with life threatening injuries where she later died, police said.

According to ABC Chicago, members of the church were involved in both collisions.

"I ran straight outside and got out there just as the police were showing up, and it was pretty chaotic. The kids were pretty shooken up," Jay Sias, a student ministry pastor told ABC Chicago in an interview.

"We as a community again mourn a tragic accident involving our community youth. We pray for the three families directly affected and vowed to do our best to ensure the safety of our residents," said Mayor John Argoudelis in a Facebook post on Friday.

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Remembering Gianna

Lamb’s family has set up a GoFundMe page for funeral expenses.

According to the GoFundMe page, Gianna was a caring person with a tender heart. She excelled in her studies and won an award last year for most outstanding female student at her elementary school. Her extracurricular activities included playing soccer and running cross country.

Gianna Lamb memorial fund, organized by Matt Lamb

Lamb is survived by her parents Kevin and Alison and little sister Francesca, the page said.

Funeral services for Lamb will be held on Friday, Jan. 26 at Community Christian Church.

"We are working with our state officials to do all we can to prevent further accidents at this intersection," Argoudelis said in the post.

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In a Facebook post on Sunday, Mayor Argoudelis expressed sadness for the loss of Gianna Lamb.

"We are all mourning this tragic loss of young Gianna Lamb and I’ve been in communication with IDOT, our staff and State representatives," Argoudelis said in a Facebook post.

Argoudelis wanted the community to know about his continued efforts to work with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) on installing traffic lights on Rt. 59.

"I want to inform all concerned as to what we are doing at the Village level," Argoudelis said in the post. "In 2021 the Village paid for a traffic study which is required before IDOT will allow a traffic light (Rte 59 is a State Hwy). IDOT has specific requirements and declined to put a traffic signal in because the study did not show that it was warranted by IDOT standards."

According to Argoudelis he ordered for an additional study to be conducted in 2022 but the IDOT concluded the same results from the previous year. This year, however, Argoudelis and the Village staff have agreed to have another study completed for 2024.

"All of us at the Village level along with our State Representatives and County Board members, are united in continuing to push IDOT to act here and we will continue to focus on IDOT as they are the ultimate decision makers," Argoudelis said in his Facebook post.