The loved ones and friends of an entire family who lost their lives in a wrong-way car crash gathered on Monday for the heartbreaking funeral service.
As per reports, Thomas Dobosz, his wife Lauren, their four children, Emma, Lucas, Nicky and Ella, and a 13-year-old friend of the kids, were on their way to a summer vacation in Minnesota on Sunday, July 31, when their vehicle was struck by a driver going the wrong way in McHenry County, Illinois.
Both vehicles burst into flames, killing the wrong-way driver, 22-year-old Jennifer Fernandez, and all passengers in the Dobosz car.
Responding troopers said that they found Fernandez dead on scene, along with Lauren Dobosz, 31, and the five children. Thomas had been hospitalized at Loyola University Medical Center after the crash, but it was revealed on Wednesday that he too had passed away.
This is such a terrible, painful tragedy. A horrific car crash killed a mother and five kids, and the father died this morning from his injuries. Far NW Siders have raised almost $100K for the Dobosz family's funeral costs in three days. https://t.co/e3ScsvJRZ6 via @BlockClubCHI
— Ariel Parrella (@ArielParrella) August 3, 2022
Yesterday, Monday, August 29, a funeral was held for the Doboszs. Friends and family gathered to lay their loved ones to rest in Des Plaines.
Agnes Vasilkovski, Thomas Dobosz’s sister, said: “We would like to thank God for giving us Thomas, Lauren, Emma, Lucas, Nicolas and Ella, and for giving us the time we had. We would like to thank God for giving us strength the last four weeks and are hoping he gives us just a little more. We’ll definitely need it.”
“Tom had met his perfect match in Lauren. Even though I didn’t know Lauren as a child, I did know her as a wife, mother, as she would say, a sister,” Agnes continued.
“Her children were the most important things in her life… As Tom and Lauren ended every phone conversation, we would like to say, ‘love you babe, until we meet again.’”
Mother of 13 y/o Kat Koziara says her daughter’s phone was thrown from van in fiery I-90 crash that killed her and the Dobosz family on 7/31. She shared these photos recovered on it with me ❤️@WGNNews at 5:00 pic.twitter.com/fMxRe9WB4r
— Dana Rebik (@DanaRebikWGN) August 10, 2022
As per reports, the Dobosz family was heavily involved in their local community of Rolling Meadows, Illinois, especially where it came to the Oriole Park Falcons football and cheer squads.
“The belief in God. That there is a reason for this. That we all are in this together,” said Oriole Park football coach Sam Filpi of the accident that claimed the lives of the Doboszs.
“I just basically dropped my phone and I just couldn’t believe it. We didn’t know what to do. We didn’t know. You don’t know what to do in that situation.”
He added: “Lauren and Tom were like, ‘Hey, what do you guys need, we got it?’ Or the shed needs to be fixed up, Tom would go fix the door on the shed.
“We are in this as a family, I mean Oriole Park football and cheerleading is a family.”
Balloon release for Dobosz family- Lauren and her children Emma, Ella, Lucas and Nicky, all killed in I-90 crash early Sunday morning @WGNNews pic.twitter.com/U0HPwWIHRG
— Dana Rebik (@DanaRebikWGN) August 1, 2022
Our hearts go out to loved ones and the friends of the Dobosz family. Rest in peace!
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