Tragedy: Illinois High School Softball Player Olivia Sonetz Dies in Car Crash

At Extra Inning Softball, we feel the softball community is a tight-knit one and when we lose one of our own, it hurts us all as these are our athletes, our players and our kids.

Last Wednesday, Olivia Sonetz, a Normal, Illinois high school player, died after being a car crash a week ago tonight. 

Here’s more on the story and the impact her passing has had on the community…

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Olivia Sonetz, a well-liked and talented student-athlete at Normal Community West High in Normal, Illinois, died last Wednesday shortly after 5 pm after being in a car accident Tuesday evening around 6:30 pm.

Sonetz, 17, was critically injured in a two-car crash as she and a teammate were leaving a softball practice. The senior was hit on the passenger side and was first taken to Advocate BroMenn Medical Center, then to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center where she succumbed to her injuries.

The talented softball player also wrestled for the school and two years ago helped lead her Wildcats softball team to its first Illinois state tournament in 16 years.

She had signed to play at Heartland Community College located just over one mile from her high school and rejoin her older sister, Ellie, a freshman for the school, on the softball field.

“Not only was Olivia a signee,” Head Coach Steve Leverton told Extra Inning Softball over the weekend, “but she was already a member of our Heartland Hawks family as her sister Ellie is on our team.”

“Olivia was a girl with a ton of energy and I never saw her without a smile on her face. She will be missed.”

Police reports indicate that a 23-year-old man driving a pickup truck hit the car Sonetz was in after running a red light. He was cited for disobeying a stoplight, failure to reduce speed, speeding and failure to wear a seat belt. He was taken to the hospital; however, his condition was unknown.

According to an article written by Julia Evelsizer of The Pantagraph, “(West High) students and staff were informed of the accident at the start of the school day on Wednesday. Guidance counselors and comfort dogs were available to help with the grieving process.”

Many softball parents also showed up at the school on Wednesday to comfort their daughters and Head Softball Coach April Schermann met with the team and then spoke to the media when it was announced that Solentz had passed away.

“Livi Sonetz will be forever remembered by her teammates and coaches as a feisty, passionate competitor,” Coach Schermann told The Pantagraph. “She was the life of the party and her infectious personality made everyone smile and laugh. She was determined to become a leader, prove everyone wrong and never give up. We will live on for Livi.”

Teammates, coaches, and West fans noted the toughness of Sonetz, recalling an experience that took place in a 2016 championship game in East Peoria.

According to a Pantagraph story at the time, in the top of the sixth inning playing second base, a ground ball bounced up and hit Sonetz in the mouth, bloodying her lip.

The then-sophomore sat out for one inning “to clean herself up before begging the coach to send her back on the field. That day, Coach Schermann called her eagerness to finish the game ‘so inspiring.’”

Coach Leverton also spoke of in behalf of the college program the promising athlete was slated to begin attending this fall.

“We at Heartland are deeply saddened by Olivia’s tragic passing and are humbled by the support of softball families around the country who have reached out in our time of grief,” he stated. “All of our thoughts and prayers go out to Olivia and the Sonetz family.”