A suburban teenager returning home from a spring break trip was killed and his sister was seriously injured in a single-vehicle accident in central Indiana. According to Lebanon, Indiana police, St. Charles resident Jordan Laskowski was riding in a vehicle with his two sisters, mother and grandmother on Interstate 65 near mile marker 135 when the vehicle crashed, ejecting him and his sister, Riley, from the vehicle.
Jordan Laskowski was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His sister, Riley, is in critical condition, police said. Laskowski’s father, Scott, called his son “a sweet, kind kid” and tearfully said he wished he could have said goodbye to the teen. “I want to say goodbye to him,” he said. “I want to hold him. I need to have five more minutes with my son.” He described Jordan as a compassionate person who loved life and wanted to be an electrician when he grew up. He said the family was on their way back from a spring break trip when the accident occurred. Scott Laskowski said 8-year-old Gracie Laskowski, who was injured in the accident but survived, along with her mother and grandmother, is devastated by the tragedy.
“Everyone who was wearing a seatbelt survived,” he said.At Wredling Middle School in St. Charles, red and black ribbons adorned trees and telephone poles, and an entire eighth-grade class wore black in honor of Jordan, writing tributes to their classmates in chalk on the sidewalk.
He played football at the school, and his father said he hopes to play for St. Charles East’s football team next season. “He started playing this year and made a big impact,” he said. “I’m excited to watch him play on Friday night.” According to Scott Laskowski, an online fundraiser helped raise enough money to cover funeral expenses and also to pay for Riley’s mounting hospital bills. In the wake of the tragedy that befell his children, Scott said he had a message for parents. “No matter what, always wear your seatbelts,” he said. “Tell every parent, hug your kids and tell them you love them.”