Israel Hernandez, 5, was playing on his driveway at his home in the 500 block of East Merle Lane in Wheeling, Illinois [MAP/SAT] Sunday afternoon. While his parents prepared food for his cousin’s surprise party inside the house, he somehow crashed the bike he was riding into the turkey fryer container that was cooking chili peppers in boiling cooking oil. He was seriously burned from the hot oil on his back and body from his shoulders down — about 60% of his body.
Parents immediately called 911 for Israel, who was conscious and protesting his trip to the hospital because he didn’t want to miss the party. Wheeling Fire Department paramedics requested a transfer by Loyola Lifestar helicopter immediately to the Loyola University Medical Center Burn Unit where Israel Hernandez arrived unconscious. After respiratory failure, Israel Hernandez died Wednesday, four days after his burn injury. The accident occurred at about 1:00 p.m. Sunday, August 26, 2007, while Israel fought for his life until Wednesday at 11:17 p.m. when he was pronounced dead.
The parents of Israel Hernandez were also burned on the hands as they desperately tried to remove the oil and hot, soaked clothing from Israel’s body.
Israel had just started kindergarten at Mark Twain Elementary School of Community Consolidated School District 21.
Send Donations to the Israel Hernandez fund to the District 21 Superintendent’s Office, 999 W. Dundee Road, Wheeling, 60090.
Arlington Heights Fire Department had a working fire about midnight Thursday night/Friday morning in the 1500 block of West St. James [MAP/SAT].
The Arlington Heights Police Department was on scene for an extended time after the fire was knocked down. A fire investigator was also on scene.
A construction crew ripped a gas main during excavation at Rand and
Wilke in Arlington Heights. Rand Road has barricades for lane blockage
as a precaution and Nicor is en route to seal the break.
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Nicor crews were still working at midnight repairing a gas main break.
A gas main leak was reported north of the intersection of Kennicott and Dundee Road [MAP/SAT] Wednesday about 4:00 p.m. The Arlington Heights Fire Department is notifying tenants and evacuating customers of the Ridge Plaza Shopping Center. The fire department is also standing by while Nicor responds to fix the leak. Businesses affected by the evacuation include Fox & Hound, Xsport Fitness, Karnes Music, Harbor Freight, Subway and Kohl’s Department Store. A spokesperson at one of the businesses reported at about 6:45 p.m. that they thought they would be closed for about three hours. Some stores were only evacuated for a very short time while the electric power was shut down as a safety precaution while the gas line was repaired. Kohl’s was only closed for a short time while the electricity was down. Other businesses were closed for a longer period because of their proximity to the leak and as a precaution in case they were affected by leaking gas.
The Arlington Heights Police Department has blocked Kennicott between Dundee Road and Happfield.
Nicor crews sampled air quality as a precaution at Ridge Plaza in front of Xsport Fitness.
Nicor crews sampled air quality as a precaution overnight.
People from a wide area near the break could smell the characteristic odor associated with natural gas (methane). Methane is a colorless, odorless gas and the smell associated with natural gas is an artificial safety measure caused by the addition of a deliberate odorant, often methanethiol or ethanethiol. Winds at the time were from the North and variable to Northeast and East Northeast at about 5 to 15 miles per hour.
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Police arrested an adult male Wednesday about 6:30 p.m. for delivery of a controlled substance in the parking lot at International Plaza on the far north side of the lot.
