Weekend scavenger hunt now under investigation

ST. CHARLES – As a South Elgin teen remains in critical condition after jumping out a moving vehicle Friday, questions surrounding the weekend scavenger hunt that set the stage for the incident remain unanswered.

Are there videotaped recordings of Friday night’s student-created scavenger hunt?

Were any of the items on the list illegal?

Was there a lapse in time from when 17-year-old Erik Nava jumped out of the vehicle and suffered a head injury to when the 911 call was placed?

While it is likely that there are at least some St. Charles North high school students who know the answers, State’s Attorney John Barsanti said he could not confirm, deny or answer any of the aforementioned questions.

Nava, a St. Charles North student from South Elgin, was in critical condition at Delnor Hospital in Geneva Tuesday evening, according to a hospital spokesperson, who said the teen’s condition was listed as serious Monday evening, but escalated back to critical Tuesday.

Friday night’s incident prompted Barsanti to create a task force that will further investigate the incident. A special grand jury is also expected to convene to find out exactly what happened before Kane County Sheriff’s police were dispatched at 10:16 p.m. Friday to Mallard Lake and Old Homestead roads.

It was in that an unincorporated area that deputies found Nava lying in the middle of the road, bleeding from his head, according to a police report. Nava had jumped from a Durango that was traveling 25 miles per hour as part of the scavenger hunt that involved dozens of high school students.

A few of Nava’s classmates said the scavenger hunt was created a few years ago as a fun activity for seniors. A flier that outlined tasks - like jumping out a moving vehicle - was passed out to participants, who split up into groups Friday night on a mission to earn points for money for checking off items on the list.

One student, who did not want to be identified and did not participate in the scavenger hunt, said as a way to verify completing tasks, each team videotaped the hunt. Another student said those who witnessed Nava’s injury waited a period of time before calling 911.

Regardless of the lingering questions, about 200 students joined a Facebook group, “Praying for Nava,” by Tuesday evening. Many students left comments that wished him a fast recovery, expressed disbelief in the incident and provided each other updates on his condition.

One of Nava’s friends wrote on the group’s wall that he visited him Monday at the hospital, where he slept a lot and had difficulty remembering people’s names. Reached by phone, he said Nava was “doing alright” and is not accepting many visitors.

St. Charles North student Megan Nemec created the “Praying for Nava” Facebook group. Nemec said because she and Nava’s last names are so close in alphabetic order, their lockers are next to each other at school.

She said they are not close friends, but once she learned of his injury, she decided to start the group for her locker neighbor. Nemec said she was not surprised that dozens of students joined the group because  “he is a very nice guy.”