Crime & Safety

Ten-Year-Old Boy Killed in Crash at Rand and Old McHenry

During afternoon rush hour Monday, a truck collided with a sedan containing a father and his twin boys; one of them has died and the other remains in critical condition at Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington.

A 10-year-old boy is dead and his twin brother is fighting for his life after an accident during rush hour Monday at Rand and Old McHenry roads in unincorporated Wauconda.

A Lake County Sheriff's Office investigation has determined that at 5:41 p.m., a Ford Super Duty truck driven by 29-year-old Matthew M. Loiacano of rural Antioch was northbound on Route 12 when it T-boned a Lincoln Continental sedan.

In the sedan were 10-year-old twin brothers Griffin and Nicholas Shirey, and their father, Scott Shirey, all of Island Lake.

Find out what's happening in Lake Zurichwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Both the truck and the sedan spun, and the truck reportedly landed on its side, sending roofing material that was in the bed of the truck flying all over the intersection.

Wauconda firefighters arrived minutes later.

Find out what's happening in Lake Zurichwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“We encountered a multiple-car accident with seven patients upon arrival at the scene,” said Lt. Bill Hoover of the Wauconda Fire Department.

A Chevrolet Cruze driven by 35-year-old Kiersten Christiano of Island Lake and a Ford Edge driven by 43-year-old William Zvirblis of Island Lake also were affected by the collision, but both refused treatment at the scene, Hoover said.

Hoover said his department activated the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System to ask for ambulance assistance from neighboring fire departments. , Barrington, Fox River Grove and Mundelein all responded.

“A police officer at the accident site attempted to give CPR to the 10-year-old victim, in addition to bystanders trying to help,” Hoover said.

Griffin was pronounced dead upon arrival at Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington.

Daniel Coles, superintendent of Community Unit School District 118, said Griffin was a fifth-grader at Cotton Creek School. A crisis team was on-hand there for students today. Coles noted that students met with the crisis team in groups and individually.

“It’s amazing how people band together in times of crisis,” said Coles. "Though I didn’t know him personally, teachers and students have said (Griffin) was a wonderful boy, a good student and well-liked by staff and friends. Our hearts go out to all of his family and friends, and we will be assisting them in any way we can."

Nicholas remains in critical condition at Lutheran General in Park Ridge, and the boys’ father, Scott, is in stable condition at Good Shepherd.

Loiacano and an occupant of the truck he was driving were taken to Northern Illinois Medical Center in McHenry.   

DUI kits were utilized on all drivers at the scene, which is protocol in all fatal accidents, said Lake County Sheriff’s Lt. Christopher Thompson.

“Originally, Mr. Loiacano said he wouldn’t comply with the test, and a warrant was issued, but he did end up complying and we did not have to use the warrant,” Thompson said.

The intersection was shut down for more than four hours due to first responders, accident investigators and cleanup at the scene. It reopened at 10:12 p.m.

“Results of the DUI tests are pending; there were no obvious signs of intoxication, but we must wait and see,” Thompson said. “As our accident investigators do their work, the rest of us are left with our hearts aching for this family.”


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.

More from Lake Zurich