Mother, son die days after SUV crashes into Aurora pond

A mother and son both died over the weekend, days after their SUV crashed into a car, then drove into a retention pond in west suburban Aurora.

Maria Ramirez, 31, was driving a 2003 GMC Envoy out of the parking lot of an industrial business at 1700 N. Edgelawn just before 5 a.m. when the SUV collided with a Scion waiting to turn into the same lot, according to a statement from city spokesman Dan Ferrelli.

Ramirez, her 9-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter were all in the SUV, Ferrelli said.

The Envoy continued eastbound after the crash and ended up submerged in a retention pond about 50 yards off shore, Ferrelli said. Both the mother and son were trapped in the SUV for more than 30 minutes.

Ramirez, of the 500 block of Jackson Street in Aurora, was taken to Delnor Hospital in Geneva, where she was pronounced dead about 11 p.m. Saturday, Ferrelli said.

Her son, Ronaldo Alanis-Ramirez, died shortly before noon Sunday at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Ferrelli said. An autopsy on Ramirez was scheduled at the Kane County coroner’s office for Monday, while an autopsy on Ronaldo is pending at the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

A police officer who was first at the scene of the crash spotted Ramirez’s daughter trying to stay afloat and swam to the SUV, Ferrelli said at the time. He pulled the girl to shore along with another officer and a witness. She was taken to an Aurora hospital for injuries that were not thought to be life-threatening.

The Aurora Fire Department Dive Team arrived at the scene and pulled Ronaldo out of the vehicle at 5:27 a.m., and Ramirez out at 5:40 a.m., Ferrelli said.

The driver of the Scion, a 35-year-old Aurora man, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was also taken to an Aurora hospital.

The SUV was towed from the water about 6:15 a.m.

The cause of the crash is not yet known, Ferrelli said. Anyone with information or who witnessed the crash should call Aurora police at (630) 256-5330.