Will County Gazette

At the Dec. 6 board meeting of the Village of Tinley Park, the board recognized Reaghan Monahan, a sophomore at Tinley Park High School who recently saved the life of her mother and possibly other motorists.

Village President Michael Glotz told the board that on Oct. 13, 2022, Reaghan was a passenger in a car with her mother on I-294 when her mother had a seizure. Glotz said the mother's foot locked on the gas pedal, causing the car to accelerate. Reagan grabbed the wheel to steer the car around nearby vehicles and maneuvered her way into the driver’s seat to move her mother’s foot and bring the car safely to a stop on the shoulder of the expressway. At the time, Reaghan only held a driver’s permit.

Tinley Park High School Principal Theresa Nolan brought Reaghan to the podium to address the board.

"If you knew Reagan, you would know that she would never walk up here by herself because although she's very quiet and shy, she has definitely become quite a celebrity over the last month," Nolan said. "Everything that you just read is exactly what she engaged in. We were contacted by the South Holland Fire Department for her bravery and her heroism. We had a great celebration for her and her family just about a month ago."

Nolan told the board that Reaghan was recently flown out to New York to go on the "Drew Barrymore Show" with her mother to talk about the event and her actions. Reaghan told the board about flying out, meeting Barrymore, and the whole experience of being on the show. She said that she had a great time telling everyone about the story and meeting a lot of people.

Reaghan plays volleyball and is a cheerleader for the high school. "The Drew Barrymore" show was also able to reach out to a local dealership and get Reaghan a new Jeep Compass as she recently got her full driver’s license.