Found Deceased IL - Brissa Romero, 17, from Carpentersville, gray 2008 Nissan Rogue, didn't return from a work party at Bowlero, Vernon Hills, 4 Dec 2023

[ifindedout]

Isn't it the curb above the yellow circle and over to the rt a bit that her vehicle jumped? That's a short distance to travel to make it 60' across the pond.

Was her vehicle forced off the road? I'm puzzled over the vehicle's ability to careen 60' across the water.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1734340789189444088

SBM
Maybe the car launched directly into the water at such a speed that it didn't actually go down the embankment.

 

[MysteryMaven]

I don't know, there are a lot of stories just like this one and even attentive drivers are involved. IMO, this isn't an irresponsible driver problem, but an infrastructure problem. I ask this on every one of these threads that I'm reading: why oh why oh why oh why do we have roads that lead to water???? Boat ramps should always have gates and other than boat ramps, there should always be grass or at least lights, something to alert drivers they're heading toward water at night.

I just don't get how many people we need to lose to this type of thing before any changes are made to how we access bodies of water.

MOO.

I agree with you 100%. There was no signage directing right or left etc. It’s easy to see how someone looking straight ahead and unfamiliar with the area could drive straight through and into the water, especially at night. There was a case of a man picking up his daughter at a party. They were new to the area and his GPS took him right onto a falling apart bridge where he went right into the water and died. Commenters were saying how stupid he was. It was an unfamiliar road in the dark. Water is black at night, it could look like a road easily. What was a half collapsed bridge doing at the end of a road is the actual point!

 

[Inthedetails]

I agree with you 100%. There was no signage directing right or left etc. It’s easy to see how someone looking straight ahead and unfamiliar with the area could drive straight through and into the water, especially at night. There was a case of a man picking up his daughter at a party. They were new to the area and his GPS took him right onto a falling apart bridge where he went right into the water and died. Commenters were saying how stupid he was. It was an unfamiliar road in the dark. Water is black at night, it could look like a road easily. What was a half collapsed bridge doing at the end of a road is the actual point!

You bring up an interesting point. Was she using GPS to guide her and perhaps misinterpreted a direction? Maybe she was distracted and thought she missed a turn? Or a turn was coming up but she thought it was NOW when she had to turn?

jmo

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

and Waze has been known to have some "interesting" routing

 

[borndem]

Beautiful young woman with a beautiful name.
Her family will be grieving for some time, I'm thinking.
So young with all kinds of potential, IMO. The holidays probably will never be the same for her family.
Rest in Peace, sweet Brissa.

 

[LotsaLatte]

This is terribly sad. My heart hurts for her family. What a tragic situation and such a lovely girl. Rest in peace Brissa.

 

[LadyL]

fly high with the angels Brissa for you are one of them now

 

[iamshadow21]

Sleep well, Brissa.

 

[jellybeanz]

RIP Brissa

 

[Unalienable Rights]

Coroner positively identifies body recovered from Vernon Hills pond as missing teenager Brissa Romero

The coroner's office has positively identified a body recovered Tuesday from a Vernon Hills pond as Brissa Romero, the 17-year-old girl who went missing over a week ago.

www.lakemchenryscanner.com

The coroner’s office has positively identified a body recovered Tuesday from a Vernon Hills pond as Brissa Romero, the 17-year-old girl who went missing over a week ago.

******
The Lake County Coroner’s Office confirmed to Lake and McHenry County Scanner Tuesday evening that they positively identified the body to be Romero.

The identification was made based on a visual check and a tattoo on her body, the coroner’s office said.

An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday morning.

*****************
(This is so sad. Her family are in my prayers.)

 

[sleepingmonkey]

Heartbreaking. I'm not even sure why there is a wide sidewalk opening to that intersection, it seems to be that it would be used infrequently. It leads to a busy ish street.
I wish developers that do retention ponds would consider putting more landscaping, especially tree in strategic places. Or even concrete pylons (I know that isn't the right word, but hopefully ykwim). Obviously, it won't prevent every scenario.

 

[StarRemy8]

This image was posted on the local scanner page showing what appear to be tire tracks and a possible entry point. I have not confirmed that this was not from an emergency vehicle, tow truck, etc. I was watching footage and it looked like the tow truck and other vehicles remained on the road way, but again, not confirmed. However, this is very interesting, because IF these are her tire tracks, she didn't just continue straight but made the turn and then went off the road shortly thereafter. Just missing much of the trees/plantings/power boxes that could provide a bit of a barrier.

This is from google maps view right on the other side of the intersection with the tire track photo you posted. Obviously this was taken at a different time but interesting there appears to be tire tracks there as well. This could be from maintenance of landscapers vehicles clearly but just interesting to see when looking at those cross streets in this case.

I am still just so perplexed though as to how you could be going so fast to plow all the way down into the lake and not immediately hit the brakes after you hit the curb and ran up onto the grass? And if the tire tracks you posted were hers then she wasn't going straight up the little walk pathway thinking it was a street. She would have already made a right turn, driven a bit and then somehow just flew off the road.

So terribly tragic and sad for such a young soul. I'm just still trying to wrap my head around how this could have possibly happened, how she couldnt stop the car in time, dodged all the trees that could have stopped her car and how no one saw this happen.

 

[iamshadow21]

Heartbreaking. I'm not even sure why there is a wide sidewalk opening to that intersection, it seems to be that it would be used infrequently. It leads to a busy ish street.
I wish developers that do retention ponds would consider putting more landscaping, especially tree in strategic places. Or even concrete pylons (I know that isn't the right word, but hopefully ykwim). Obviously, it won't prevent every scenario.

The word I've seen for this kind of thing is bollards. The ones they put in parks can be permanent (like a big sculpted piece of granite or sandstone or concrete) or can be made of something like metal and be unlockable and removable to allow access for emergency and landscaping/maintenance vehicles. Some even telescope down into the ground or fold flat. You see that kind of thing sometimes in carparks with reserved parking spaces.

MOO

 

[Unalienable Rights]

As expected, the coroner has confirmed that the cause of death is drowning. It is heartbreaking to think of the fear she must have felt in the last moments of her life.

Cause of death revealed for Brissa Romero, missing suburban teen whose body was found in a Vernon Hills pond

Authorities have revealed the cause of death for Brissa Romero, a missing Carpentersville teen whose body was found in a Vernon Hills pond earlier this week.

www.nbcchicago.com

*******
The body was positively identified as Brissa Romero on Wednesday, who had gone missing last week on her way to a work holiday party, according to the Lake County Coroner's Office.

Authorities said that Romero sustained no significant injuries and that her death was consistent with drowning.

********

 

[ifindedout]

Heartbreaking. I'm not even sure why there is a wide sidewalk opening to that intersection, it seems to be that it would be used infrequently. It leads to a busy ish street.

SBBM
It complements a ramp directly across the parkway that gives cyclists and runners access to a footpath that runs along the north side of Executive Way and the outer edge (east side) of Lakeview Parkway.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

 

[Limecat]

My heart breaks for Brissa’s family and loved ones. I pray they will be comforted.

Side note; this one really bothers me for all the obvious reasons but in the past month I’ve had two horrifying dreams where I’m driving and my car goes into water. In both dreams I could feel the icy cold of the water coming in and rising around me. In the dreams I remember so vividly thinking ok, seatbelt off, try to get window down so I can open the door, etc. I woke up in a panic after the first time I dreamt it and it was worse the second time. What a truly terrifying way to die. My heart breaks to think what she endured.

Since she was not located in the car I wonder if she did manage to get her window down but couldn’t complete her escape and drowned, hence her body being located outside the vehicle.

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon her. May her soul rest in peace. Amen.

 

[Chimera]

Rest in peace, Brissa !
A young light gone too soon.
Prayers for her family.

 

[ErinC]

I have a Rogue that is similar in model-year to hers. One thing you have to be very careful about is that, like a lot of smaller SUVs, if you stomp the brakes or overcorrect at all, the front end starts in a "whipsaw" type of motion and it's very difficult to get it back under control. I managed it only because I've been driving similar SUVs for 30 years- a young driver, in the dark, possibly in an unfamiliar location wouldn't have had a hope in Hades. I'm wondering if a deer or other animal jumped in front of her, she stomped the brake in a panic and then it was all over. That poor kid.

 

[Unsolved]

This is from google maps view right on the other side of the intersection with the tire track photo you posted. Obviously this was taken at a different time but interesting there appears to be tire tracks there as well. This could be from maintenance of landscapers vehicles clearly but just interesting to see when looking at those cross streets in this case.

I am still just so perplexed though as to how you could be going so fast to plow all the way down into the lake and not immediately hit the brakes after you hit the curb and ran up onto the grass? And if the tire tracks you posted were hers then she wasn't going straight up the little walk pathway thinking it was a street. She would have already made a right turn, driven a bit and then somehow just flew off the road.

So terribly tragic and sad for such a young soul. I'm just still trying to wrap my head around how this could have possibly happened, how she couldnt stop the car in time, dodged all the trees that could have stopped her car and how no one saw this happen.

View attachment 467788

RIP Brissa. I pray her family and friends can find some peace in the days ahead as I know they will miss her so, so much.

Ugh, looking at those tire tracks reminds me of the Erica Bergeron thread, who was also found deceased in a retention pond after someone followed up on tire tracks leading off the road:

 

[jca1388]

This happened at the pond where I work. Divers searched most of the morning. It's disturbing to know that this tragedy happened a week before and we had no idea what was in the pond. I think it's 20 feet deep in the deep end. It's also worth noting the pond had not frozen over yet but as of a day ago it is now completely frozen over. I know this T-intersection well, the road is a pretty good distance from the pond. <modsnip: screenshot with no source link>