A car crash in Florida involving several Massachusetts high school students resulted in three being killed and one other seriously injured following the Monday night incident.
The students who were in the car and later killed were identified as Concord-Carlisle High School seniors Hannah Wasserman, Jimmy McIntosh, and Maisey O'Donnell. Superintendent Dr. Laurie Hunter said that another senior, who has not been named, was left in critical condition.
Fatal Car Crash
In a letter to families, Hunter thanked the outpouring of love during what she called a heartbreaking moment. The superintendent said that it is crucial to not take any action to honor the students without the full consent of their families.
Officials with the Florida Highway Patrol said that the four students were traveling inside an SUV that was being driven by McIntosh on U.S. Highway 98 in Walton County. It then collided with a tractor-trailer that was making a U-turn in the median at around 9:30 p.m., according to CBS News.
Investigators also said that the students' SUV went across the median and the other side of the highway before getting into the woods. Officials found McIntosh and Wasserman dead at the scene while the other two students were quickly transferred to Bay Medical Center in Panama City, Florida.
Read more: Third Youth Arrested, 11-Year-Old Charged With Murder After Fatal Hit-And-Run of Bicyclist
It was there that the third fatality, O'Donnell, was pronounced dead after being in critical condition. Law enforcement said that it was not clear whether O'Donnell, Wasserman, or the fourth student were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash.
Shortly after the crash, Hunter released a statement expressing condolences to the families of the deceased students. She said that their loss will be deeply felt by the school community and so many families in Carlisle and Concord, USA Today reported.
Three High School Students Killed
When O'Donnell was pronounced dead, Hunter revealed that the high school senior was in the organ donor program and that her family was hoping that it could give some meaning to the tragic accident.
She was also said to be a standout member of her school's swimming and diving teams, the latter of which won its third straight MIAA North Sectionals championship earlier this year. O'Donnell will be posthumously honored next month as The Boston Globe's Athlete of the Year for diving.
Later, Katie Stahl, the Concord-Carlisle High School Co-Principal, gave a message to parents, staff, and students, identifying the fourth victim in the crash as Lauren Costa, as per the Metro West Daily News.
