A 6-year-old boy was hospitalized in critical condition after a car plunged into a retention pond in west suburban Aurora early Sunday, according to police.
Around 2:40 a.m., officers responded to the area of Diehl Road and I-88 for an SUV that crashed into the pond on the south side of Diehl, Aurora police said in a statement.
Authorities initially said three females and a 6-year-old boy were in the vehicle at the time of the incident, later clarifying that it was actually the young boy and four females: the 31-year-old driver and three other passengers, ages 21, 15 and 12.
It appeared as though all five people in the car are related, Aurora police said, though exact relationships were not clear.
The driver told police that they were at a party in Aurora and were returning to Cicero, where authorities said all five live at the same address. She told investigators that when she exited I-88, turning left onto Diehl, she lost control of the car, went off the roadway and ended up in the pond, according to police.
The four females were able to get out of the car, authorities said, but the boy was trapped.
He was believed to have been underwater for at least 30 minutes before police said an Aurora Fire Department Dive Team located him about 80 feet from the shore and in approximately 15 feet of water, pulling him from the pond at around 3:05 a.m.
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He was taken to an area hospital in critical condition, officials said, and later transported to a Chicago hospital. One other occupant of the vehicle was also taken to an Aurora hospital and released after observation, according to police.
Aurora police initially said it appeared as though alcohol may have played a role in the crash, later adding that it was thought to be the main factor. It was not known if weather conditions also contributed.
The driver was being detained, police said, and charges were expected to be filed Monday.
Authorities remained on the scene for several hours early Sunday morning, and police continue to investigate.
