A Hinsdale community is mourning the loss of Brett and Melissa Lane, a beloved couple and parents of five, who were killed in a multi-vehicle crash Friday.
The crash happened in suburban La Grange shortly after 2 p.m. on April 25 at the intersection of 47th Street and Willow Springs Road. According to the La Grange Police Department, a white SUV was observed traveling at a high rate of speed northbound on Willow Springs Road when it struck several vehicles in and around the intersection — including the car driven by the Lanes.
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WATCH HERELa Grange police confirmed that prior to the crash, the same SUV had been involved in two collisions in nearby Western Springs. Officers were responding to those crashes when the fatal incident occurred.
Authorities said the vehicle was not involved in a police pursuit and are investigating whether the driver suffered a medical event. The identity of the SUV driver has not been released .
Brett, 51, and Melissa, 49, leave behind five children ranging in age from 17 to 25. Their deaths have shaken the Hinsdale community, where the couple was widely known and respected.
“It’s been a horrible tragedy for our community,” said Father Burke Masters, the couple’s longtime pastor at Saint Isaac Jogues Church in Hinsdale. “They’re pillars of our community. Very faith-filled people, five beautiful children, and it’s been tragic for our whole community to take in this news” .
Burke described the Lanes as regular parishioners and active participants in the church’s adult faith formation program, Be Formed.
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“You see them at mass on a regular basis, just very humble, quiet, but joy-filled people,” he said. “Anybody in this community knows them and has been positively affected by them in some way” .
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SIGN UP Since the accident, the church has rallied around the Lane family. A rosary was held Saturday night at Saint Isaac Jogues, and Burke has been counseling the couple’s children and extended family.
“One of the beautiful things about Hinsdale is the tight-knit community,” Burke added. “There’s not much you can do but walk the journey with them during this time of grief” .
The Lanes’ funeral will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Saint Isaac Jogues Church. A visitation is scheduled for Tuesday at Sullivan Funeral Home in Hinsdale.
In addition to his impact on the community, Brett Lane was the Chief Technology Officer at Panduit Corp., a global electrical and network infrastructure company headquartered in Tinley Park. He worked at the company for more than 25 years.
“Brett’s passion for innovation was truly contagious, touching everyone who had the privilege of working with him,” said Shannon McDaniel, Panduit’s president and CEO, in a statement . “He was a tireless champion for curiosity, invention, and excellence.”
The La Grange Police Department asks anyone with information about the crash to contact the Investigations Unit at (708) 579-2333.
As the Hinsdale community grieves, Burke said the Lanes’ legacy will continue to live on — through their family and their faith.
“We just celebrated Easter a little over a week ago,” he said. “And that’s our hope — that just as Jesus rose from the dead, we believe that those who believe in Him will do also. And the Lane family are strong believers. That faith is helping them and all of us get through this” .
