By Jim Utter
Director of Journalism
A suburban Chicago car wash has filed for federal bankruptcy protection nearly 17 months after a 14-year-old boy was killed in an accident at the location.
Fuller’s Service Center Inc., which operates a full-service automative service center and car wash in Hinsdale, Illinois, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Jan. 29 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Illinois.
The Hinsdale location has been in business for nearly 80 years. Fuller’s also operates 11 full-service car washes throughout Illinois under the Fuller’s Car Wash and Fuller’s Express Car Wash brands.
In the filing, Fuller’s lists 20 different creditors with a total of $394,476 in debt. The initial hearing in the matter before Judge Deborah L. Thorne is scheduled for Wednesday.
On July 17, 2023, Sean Patrick Richards, 14, was walking on the sidewalk in front of Fuller’s on Chicago Avenue when an employee driving a car exited the car wash and hit him.
The car then crossed the street and crashed into a nearby restaurant, where three diners were injured. Richards died days later in the hospital for his injuries.
The 16-year-old employee was charged with three traffic violations, but not any criminal offenses.
In a statement released at the time, DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Hinsdale Police Chief Brian King said their investigation found no intent to harm anyone or reckless driving.
According to the statement, the 16-year-old entered the car at the end of the car wash cycle and proceeded to exit the car wash tunnel.
As he exited, he pressed the accelerator pedal to full depression, believing he was pressing on the brake pedal. The car’s data recorder found the brake pedal was never pressed. He struck Richards, who was walking on the sidewalk, and then crashed into the restaurant directly across the street.
Several lawsuits were filed against the company, one of which was scheduled to begin depositions last Friday.
Several months after the incident, the Hinsdale location sought permission from the village to build a wall along its property as a public safety measure.
One month after the incident, the car wash had 11 concrete-filled bollards installed just outside the exit of the wash bay. Until then, there was no barrier between the exit and the sidewalk and road in front of the location.
