2 Missouri Teenagers Dead After Crash with Semitruck on Victim's Birthday: They Just 'Got Out of School Last Week'
The driver of their vehicle, a 17-year-old girl, survived the highway crash with "moderate" injuries
A friend of one of the victims told a local outlet that the boy died on his birthdayTwo teenagers from Missouri died in a car crash with a semitruck this week, just days into their summer vacation — and on one of their birthdays.
On Thursday, May 29, three teens were traveling in a Mercury Mariner SUV across Highway 60 outside of their hometown of Rogersville when the vehicle was struck by a semitruck at around 9:30 p.m. local time, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said in a report.
The SUV driver, a 17-year-old girl, was transported to a local hospital in Springfield and survived the crash with "moderate" injuries. The SUV's two passengers — a 15-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy — died.
Per the highway patrol report, the semitruck, which was being driven by a 78-year-old man from Kentucky, struck the SUV while the teen driver was in the intersection, crossing the westbound lanes of the highway.
The SUV then overturned several times before ending up on the right side of the roadway. The highway patrol report did not reveal the names of the victims.
Travis Trent of the Logan-Rogersville Fire Protection District told NBC affiliate KY3 that he was one of the first people to respond to the scene of the crash. He added that the SUV driver "pulled out in front of the 18-wheeler" and "didn't see them."
"It was unfortunate," Trent said. "It truly is an accident. There was no alcohol, substance abuse or anything like that involved."
"[The] kids just got out of school last week," Trent told the outlet, describing the crash as a major loss for the community. "It's the beginning of everybody's summer. They're supposed to be out having fun, making memories with their friends and families. This [incident] tarnishes that a little bit for this summer."
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The two victims attended the Logan-Rogersville School District, the district confirmed in a statement obtained by KY3 and CBS affiliate KOLR.
"Our hearts are heavy as we extend our deepest condolences to the families affected," the statement read. "The Logan-Rogersville School District asks our community to keep these families and friends in your thoughts and prayers. LRHS will have additional support available for students and staff during summer school on Monday, June 2."
The loss "trickles down through the whole community," Trent told KOLR, as YoungLife youth leader Keaton Garrett described the teens as "happy kids."
'I have multiple memories of her, asking me how my day was and you know, normally you're like, 'Good, how is yours,' but I was thinking today … she was legitimately asking me genuinely how my day was," Garrett said of the girl who died in the crash. "It was just a neat thing to experience somebody so genuine.'
People familiar with the two victims said they were in a relationship, per KOLR, as Garrett said the boy was "sweet to his girlfriend."
Derek Walker, a friend who played football with the boy, remembered him to KOLR as his "best friend" and described both teens as a "really good couple." He also revealed that he and the boy had close birthdays — with his late friend's birthday being May 29, the day he died in the crash.
'I was going to plan to do something with him sometime this weekend. I was thinking Sunday we were going to do a kind of a joint birthday party,' Walker said. 'I thought he was going to be my best friend for life.'
Walker's mother, Audrey Seitz, told the outlet that she was working on ways to set up financial assistance for the family. She has since shared a link on Facebook to a GoFundMe page she launched to raise money for the family of the 16-year-old boy, while also sharing a link to a Rogersville Facebook group where locals can assist the family of the late girl.
"I have gotten to watch this young man grow the last 3 years," she wrote in the fundraiser, which did not share the boy's name. "He was also my son's best friend. His smile was always so warming when you walked inside a room. His sister is in the hospital right now too. There [were] 2 teens that passed away in this wreck. He will be greatly missed by all his friends and family. We love you bub. All donations will go to the Newsome family."
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