2 teens killed in Antioch crash ID'd

February 19, 2013 (ANTIOCH, Ill.) (WLS) -- A 16-year-old boy from Antioch and a 17-year-old girl from Lindenhurst have been identified after they were killed in a north suburban car crash.

• PHOTOS: 2 teens killed in Antioch crash

The single-vehicle crash took place Monday around 7 p.m. in the 27000-block of Wilmot Road in Antioch. Joel Wittkamp, 16, was driving. Ashley Seay, 17, was in the passenger seat. Both were pronounced dead on the scene.

Investigators say Wittkamp's black 2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer veered off the road then crashed through a fence before slamming into a tree, uprooting it. The two teenagers died instantly.

Tim Staples lives on this property and heard the crash. He and his wife rushed to help.

"You could tell it was disastrous," Staples said.

Seay was a junior at Lakes Community High School in Lake Villa. The school lowered its flags to half-staff Tuesday and had a crisis plan prepared for grieving students and staff.

Seay's absence was felt immediately.

"It's eerily quiet in the building," said Lakes Community High School Principal Steve Plank.

Seay was also studying cosmetology at nearby Lake County High Schools Technology Campus.

"You can tell she was very passionate about that," Plank said. "You don't commit to that program unless you are really driven. It's a lot of work. That was Ashley. She was driven."

A junior at Antioch Community High School, Wittkamp played football and was recently fixing up his snowmobile with his friend Jake Borkowicz, who described him as a good easygoing teenager.

"Fun. Cool. Relaxed. No one could really hate him," Borkowicz said. "He was awesome."

This crash has had an impact on many of the couple's friends.

"Being a teenager...something tragic like this happens, and you look at life completely differently," said Borkowicz.

Lake County investigators believe rainy and windy weather was a contributing factor.

Seay's funeral was planned Saturday at 11 a.m. at Marsh Funeral Home in Gurnee. The funeral for Wittkamp was set for 3 p.m. Saturday at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Antioch.

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local, diane pathieu

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