A 38-year-old Naperville woman died in a car crash on Monday, December 23, after her vehicle veered off the road and caught fire. The crash occurred just before 9:00 p.m. on the 1400 block of Auburn Avenue, according to a Naperville Police Department press release.
Naperville woman dies in car crash after veering off Wehrli Drive
Naperville Police and Fire Department personnel arrived on the scene, and after extinguishing the fire, they confirmed a victim was still inside the vehicle.
A preliminary investigation shows that the victim, a 38-year-old female from Naperville, Amanda Baratka, was driving a 2018 Toyota Rav 4 southbound on Wehrli Drive. The vehicle left the roadway, struck two light poles, stopped on a private residential driveway, and caught fire. Baratka was later pronounced dead on the scene.
A female family member escapes the car crash
A young female family member was also inside the vehicle. She managed to escape the vehicle and police say she appeared uninjured.
Due to the type of crash, traffic crash investigators, in addition to reconstruction specialists from the Naperville Police Department’s Traffic Unit responded to the scene.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation by the Naperville Police Department. The DuPage County Coroner’s Office is also working to determine the exact cause of Bartaka’s death.
Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact the Naperville Police Department’s Traffic Unit at 630-420-8833.
