Woman charged with drunk driving and negligent homicide in crash that killed two college graduates

Erik Cox, 18, of Rolling Meadows died early Sunday morning along with fellow graduate Shealyn Sherwood, 18, of Hoffman Estates in a traffic accident on I-290 in Chicago.
Courtesy of GoFundMe

A woman is charged with vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence in connection with an early Sunday morning crash on the Eisenhower Expressway that left teenagers from Rolling Meadows and Hoffman Estates dead.

Ashanti Gates, 21, appeared in court Tuesday on nine felony charges, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Authorities say she was driving with her headlights off around 3 a.m. when she struck and killed the teens as they tried to change a tire in the exit lane of I-290 near Paulina Street.

Meanwhile, an online fundraiser has been set up for the family of 18-year-old Erik C. Cox, who graduated from Rolling Meadows High School last month. He was killed along with Shealyn M. Sherwood, an 18-year-old Hoffman Estates resident who recently graduated from Schaumburg High School.

Prosecutors said a person accompanying Cox and Sherwood stood next to their vehicle and tried to warn drivers so his friends could be seen, the Sun-Times reported. He waved at Gates before crashing into their car, authorities said.

Gates is also charged with child endangerment because her 4-year-old child was in the back seat at the time, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said she was speeding more than 20 miles per hour, driving on the shoulder and had a blood-alcohol content more than twice the legal limit, the Sun-Times reported.

A judge ordered Gates released under house arrest but told her she could continue to work and take her child to daycare, the Sun-Times reported. The judge also prohibited Gates from drinking alcohol or driving for the duration of the proceedings.

Cox’s legal guardian declined to comment on the family’s loss Tuesday. Sherwood’s family could not be reached.

The GoFundMe campaign for Cox’s family was started by his girlfriend Shannon Puleo.

“Erik was full of life and had everything he wanted,” Puleo wrote on the GoFundMe page. “He had graduated from Rolling Meadows High School two weeks ago and was preparing to attend Columbia College in the fall to study graphic design. Erik was intelligent, had a great sense of humor and was very personable. His circle of friends was larger than anyone I know. Everyone loved Erik.”

As of Tuesday afternoon, the GoFundMe campaign for Cox’s family had exceeded $2,000 of its $10,000 goal.

“Any donation, no matter the amount, will make a significant difference as the family deals with this tragedy,” Puleo wrote. “Please continue to think of Erik’s family and pray for them. We send you a huge thank you in advance.”

GoFundMe officials said Tuesday they were working with Puleo to make Cox’s immediate family the direct beneficiary of the fundraiser.

· The Chicago Sun-Times contributed to this report.