Police investigation into Portillo’s crash in Oswego could take a few more weeks

Oswego police continue to investigate what caused the driver of a 2011 Lincoln MKZ Sedan to crash into the entrance of the Portillo’s restaurant in Oswego on July 30, killing a 2-year-old boy sitting in the restaurant.

The investigation may take a few more weeks, Oswego Police Department spokesperson Cathy Nevara said on Thursday. All of the 13 victims, including the toddler, were in the restaurant at the time of the crash.

Eight people, including the driver of the vehicle, were taken to area hospitals. No one injured in the crash is currently hospitalized, Nevara said.

Five other people were treated at the scene and declined further medical treatment. With the exception of the 2-year-old child, the individuals taken for injuries ranged in age from their 20s to their 60s.

The vehicle was driven by a 50-year-old woman from Canton, Michigan, who was the only occupant in the vehicle, police said. It is not known if the driver was having a medical emergency at the time of the crash, Oswego Police Chief Jason Bastin has said.

The Kane County Coroner’s office is investigating the death of the toddler. Following the crash, the child was taken to Rush Copley Medical Center in Aurora, where he was pronounced dead.

Preliminary findings from an autopsy conducted on July 31 indicate that the cause of death is consistent with multiple traumatic injuries.

The restaurant recently reopened its drive-thru and dining room and white and orange construction barrels have been placed in front of the building.

Portillo’s intends to install bollards in front of the entrance, Oswego Village President Ryan Kauffman said,

A bollard is a short vertical post used to manage traffic and parking around areas where there are a lot of pedestrians.

“They’re going to do that on their own,” Kauffman said after the Aug. 4 Oswego Village Board meeting. “That would not be mandated by the village. There’s already bollards around the outdoor seating.”

Oswego requires bollards for all commercial outdoor dining areas, Kauffman said.

“As part of the review process for any new restaurant, we require them to be around a permanent outdoor seating area but not in front of the door,” Kauffman said. “We are going to take a look at what we can do to strengthen our policies around this.”

Kauffman said the village has begun reviewing its ordinances and safety protocols to identify what more can be done to help prevent such tragedies in the future.

“I’ve asked staff to start looking at our current and existing ordinances to see what we have on the books already and then look at where other communities have had similar issues and start reaching out and seeing what we can do to prevent something like this from ever happening again,” he said.

Village trustee Rachelle Koenig agreed in following such an approach.

“I think it’s important for us to honor this little boy’s short life by preventing similar tragedies in the future,” she said during the meeting.

A memorial set up in front of the restaurant continues to grow in size.