6-Year-Old Hospitalized After Mom Drives Into Retention Pond In Aurora

AURORA, IL —A six-year-old Cicero boy is in critical condition after the SUV his mom was driving spun out of control and into a retention pond near I-88 and Diehl Road early Sunday. The boy was trapped underwater for at least 30 minutes before rescue divers found him. The driver, 31, and three other passengers, aged 21, 15, and 12, all female, of Cicero, were able to escape the submerged Nissan XTerra unharmed.

Aurora Police and emergency crews arrived on the scene at approximately 2:40 a.m. A surface swimmer and two Water Rescue Team divers entered the pond to search for the boy and the driver's SUV. After about six minutes, divers found the boy and the SUV 15 feet of water roughly 80 feet from the shore and rescued the boy just after 3 a.m. He was rushed to a hospital in Aurora and later transferred to a Chicago hospital, according to police.

The driver told police they had just left a party in Aurora and were on their way back to Cicero when the accident occurred. In a Facebook post, police said "alcohol use is thought to be the main factor in the crash," but have yet to determine if the stormy weather played a role.

The driver is currently being held at the Aurora Police Department and official charges are expected to be released Monday.

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