
Police, firefighters and paramedics responded to two separate fatal vehicle crashes on Arlington Heights streets less than one week apart — the first crash involved a motorcycle and a minivan that killed a man driving home from work, and the second crash involved a pickup truck and an e-bike or out-of-class two-wheel motorized vehicle that killed a teen on the motorized bike.
Police, firefighters and paramedics from Arlington Heights responded about 5:25 p.m. Wednesday, September 10, 2025 to a report of a crash involving a motorcycle and a minivan at Golf Road and Goebbert Road in Arlington Heights. The motorcyclist, Jeffrey Tanafranca, age 44 of Mundelein, died shortly after being hit by the driver of the minivan, who made a left turn in front of him.
We never imagined we’d be writing these words. On Wednesday, September 10th, we lost our brother, Jeffrey, in a sudden motorcycle accident while on his way home from work. In an instant, lives changed forever. As a caring husband, compassionate son, admirable brother, loving uncle and a great friend- his sudden passing has left family & friends in deep grief, struggling to imagine every family gatherings & holidays without his laughter, warmth, and love.
He was the guy you could always count on. He had the biggest heart, jokes that can light up the room, and the person who always had the answers. He was loved my many.
— Mayrel de Guzman
The gofundme account for Jeffrey Tanafranca reached $2,616 toward the goal of $10,000 as of 1:20 p.m. Friday, September 19, 2025.

Police, firefighters and paramedics from Arlington Heights responded about 7:28 p.m. Monday, September 15, 2025 to a report of a crash involving an e-bike and a pickup truck at Grove Street and Reuter Drive in Arlington Heights. A 16 year-old teen died following the crash. The e-biker (or out-of-class two-wheel motorized vehicle operator) was a teen soccer player that attended Rolling Meadows High School, but lived in Mount Prospect. The teen, was apparently riding an e-bike or out-of-class motorized two-wheel vehicle when he went through a stop sign while traveling over the speed limit — by witness accounts: 30-40 MPH.
Samuel Alfaro Acevedo, age 16, of Mount Prospect, played soccer at Rolling Meadows High School, and was hoping to play soccer in college.
My son Samuel Alfaro had a tragic accident. Samuel was a beloved son, brother, friend, and teammate. Samuel was a proud Mustang Soccer player. His dream was to play soccer in college. We are completely devastated as a family. We are seeking support in covering funeral expenses. Anything you can do to support our family during this unthinkable time is greatly appreciated.
— Sandra Acevedo (Samuel Alfaro’s mother)
The gofundme account for Samuel Alfaro Acevedo reached $59,528 toward the $70K goal as of 1:20 p.m. Friday, September 19, 2025.
Stay informed with news from The Cardinal’s Emergencies Behind the Scenes Facebook page — Facebook.com/CardinalEmergencies. Includes links to favorite public safety and emergency rescuers and product manufacturers and safety companies that have facebook pages. Submit your pictures or just stay up-to-date on with fire, rescue, EMS and police photo galleries. Please add your public safety photo to the wall album — go direct to the Arlington Cardinal Emergencies Behind the Scenes photos. For a list of all of The Cardinal Facebook fan pages, go to Arlingtoncardinal.com/about/facebook …
Help fund The Cardinal Arlingtoncardinal.com/sponsor

