Oswego teen returning from golf tournament killed in Kane County crash

A 16-year-old southwest suburban boy was killed in a crash Tuesday in unincorporated Kane County while returning home from a regional golf tournament.

About 4:35 p.m., Nathan Kok was a passenger in a Mazda 6 going east on Main Street between Green and Bunker roads in an unincorporated area of Blackberry Township north of Sugar Grove, the Kane County sheriff’s office said.

For an unknown reason, the Mazda crossed the center line and collided head-on with a westbound Jeep Compass, the sheriff’s office said.

Both drivers were helped from their vehicles by witnesses, but Kok had to be extricated. He was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, where he died, the sheriff’s office said.

Tyler Hammer, the 17-year-old North Aurora boy driving the Mazda, was also taken to Good Samaritan Hospital, where he was treated for injuries that weren’t believed to be life threatening, the sheriff’s office said.

Both boys were students at Aurora Christian High School and were returning from a regional golf tournament. Both were wearing seat belts, police said.

Kok was a sophomore from Oswego, who graduated eighth grade in 2016 from Cross Lutheran School in Yorkville.

In a post on its Facebook page, Aurora Christian Schools wrote: “Words cannot express how heavy our hearts are to lose one of our own. Nate Kok was a great student, committed athlete, and faithful friend who was a positive example to everyone around him. While we are grieving deeply with the Kok family and as a community, we also have peace and hope knowing that Nate is now with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

“We’re also praying for Tyler, the Hammer family, and his medical team as he begins the healing process. We would like to thank the many people who have reached out including students, parents, law enforcement, and neighboring schools,” the post read.

The driver of the Jeep, a 20-year-old Batavia man, was taken to Delnor Hospital in Geneva with injuries that weren’t believed to be life-threatening, the sheriff’s office said. He was also wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.

Main Street was closed for about four hours, authorities said.

No citations were issued as of Tuesday morning, and the crash is under investigation by Kane County Accident Reconstruction Team.