After Car Crash Kills 2 Kids, Friends Rally Around Old Irving Park Family

OLD IRVING PARK — Support is flooding in for an Old Irving Park family whose two young daughters were killed over the weekend in a Downstate car accident that also injured a third daughter and the family's father.

A GoFundMe site for the Roock family has raised more than $100,000 from more than 1,000 donors in just two days.

According the State Journal-Register, David Roock was traveling with his three daughters on Interstate 55 — between Bloomington-Normal and Springfield — when the family's van was hit from behind by a semitrailer.

Two of the girls, Abby and Maya, both under the age of 5, were killed and their sister Maddy was airlifted from the scene in critical condition. David was hospitalized in fair condition, according to the Journal-Register.

St. Benedict's, at 3900 N. Leavitt St. in North Center, where the girls attended preschool, sent out a call for prayers via social media, and parishioners responded with heartfelt messages of condolence.

Jenny Roock, who was not involved in the accident, posted an update about her daughter and husband that was shared via GoFundMe.

"The number of texts, calls, posts, and letters from friends far and wide are truly humbling. We have so much support we don't even know what to do with it. So for that, I thank you....

"Dave and Maddy both had their surgeries today. Dave has pulled through great and is resting....

"Maddy (aka Princess Power) was amazing today. Absolutely amazing. She is stronger than I can ever be.... It is first of all amazing that she is even here with us, but secondly, that she is making the progress she has so early on.

"As good as it was, there is still a long road ahead.... There are many more surgeries ahead for Maddy, but today was a big day. ... I like to think Abby and Maya are up there making sure things continue to go well with Maddy."

 

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