Three Massachusetts high school students were killed after their SUV struck a tractor-trailer during their Florida spring break vacation.
Jimmy McIntosh, Hannah Wasserman and Maisey O'Donnell died in the collision on Highway 98 just west of Watersound Parkway near Panama City just before 9:30 p.m. Monday, officials said.
All three were seniors at Concord-Carlisle High School, based about 25 miles from Boston, and reportedly all 18 years-old.
A fourth student, whose identity was not revealed, was also in the crash and has been left in critical condition.
The teenagers were traveling westbound when a tractor-trailer performed a U-turn in the paved median of the highway and collided with their SUV, according to the Florida Highway Patrol, which is leading investigations.
The collision propelled the SUV into a wooded area on the opposite side of the highway.
A 19-year-old Florida resident behind the wheel of the tractor-trailer and a 23-year-old passenger were not injured, officials said. No charges had been filed as of Wednesday morning.
The FHP said the collision is still under investigation. The Walton County Sheriff’s Office said the stretch of Highway 88 was reopened early Tuesday.
Concord-Carlisle Regional School District Superintendent Dr. Laurie Hunter revealed that McIntosh, who was driving the SUV, and Wasserman had died following the accident in a statement Tuesday morning.
“Their loss will be deeply felt by our school community as well as by so many families in Carlisle and Concord,” she said.
That afternoon, Hunter announced that O’Donnell had succumbed to her injuries after being rushed to hospital.
“At this time, it is most appropriate that no action be taken to honor the students without the full consent of the families and appropriate support for so many young people facing unfathomable loss,” she said in a statement.
Grief counselors were due to be on site at Concord-Carlisle High School to offer support for students and staff on Wednesday morning.
“We are all devastated beyond what we can understand today. I know that the difficult days ahead will be ones we face together,” she added.
O'Donnell was a two-time Massachusetts state diving champion with aspirations to attend Williams College next fall, local ABC affiliate WCVB reported.
“It’s a tragedy,” her coach Joe Chirico told the outlet. “The little kids looked up to her, the other divers looked up to her. It’s a tragedy, that somebody at the top of their game, going to the best academic school, one of the best divers in the nation, was cut so short.”
Wasserman was described as a “bright light taken too soon” in a GoFundMe page to support her family with funeral expenses.
“She had a way of making everyone feel seen, heard, and loved. Whether it was a friend in need, a classmate having a rough day, or a stranger who needed a smile, Hannah showed up with compassion and care,” it read.
Concord-Carlisle High School student Chase Gillik told CBS News that he lives in the same neighborhood as the fourth victim who has been left fighting for her life.
“It's going to mean a lot to everybody who is affected by her being in critical condition in the hospital, her family especially,” he said. “All of her friends. My whole street. It's going to be a really big deal. My prayers are out to her.”
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