Families File Lawsuit Following Fatal Y-NOT Crash

The families of five children killed in a 2025 crash at an after-school facility in Chatham have filed a lawsuit seeking accountability from multiple parties connected to the incident.

The lawsuit stems from the April 28, 2025 crash, when a Jeep driven by Marianne Akers left East Walnut Street and struck a building operated by Y-NOT Outdoors. Four children were pronounced dead at the scene, and a fifth later died from injuries sustained in the crash.

The complaint names Y-NOT Outdoors, the builder of the facility, Chatham, and Akers as defendants. It alleges that the placement of the building failed to meet required safety standards and contributed to the severity of the crash. According to the filing, the structure, built in 2012, was required to be set back 100 feet from the roadway but was instead constructed approximately 75 feet away.

The lawsuit argues that the reduced setback left the building more vulnerable to a vehicle leaving the roadway and that proper placement could have lessened the impact or prevented the extent of the damage caused by the crash.

Authorities previously said Akers was not charged in connection with the crash and is believed to have experienced a medical episode prior to the incident.

The victims were identified as Ainsley Johnson, 8, Kathryn Corley, 7, Alma Buhnerkempe, 7, all of Chatham, and Rylee Britton, 18, of Springfield, who was working as a counselor at the time. Bradley Lund, 8, of Springfield, died several weeks later after being hospitalized with injuries from the crash.

The lawsuit could begin a legal process that will examine both the circumstances of the crash and the conditions surrounding the facility’s construction. A candlelight vigil is scheduled for Saturday at 4 p.m. at Chatham Baptist Church as the community continues to mourn the loss.