FAIRFAX, Calif. – A somber crowd gathered Saturday night in Fairfax to mourn the deaths of four teenagers who were killed in a car crash.
The victims, all students at Archie Williams High School in San Anselmo, were remembered by classmates, teachers, family members and community leaders during a candlelight vigil.
All four were girls between the ages of 14 and 16 years old, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Family members told KTVU they had all been friends since kindergarten.
“We have all come tonight to lean in to each other, to comfort each other,” said Rev. Scott Clark of First Presbyterian San Anselmo.
During the vigil, hundreds stood together and paused for a moment of silence, many holding candles or laying flowers in tribute.
“I’m going to ask that we now sit in quiet. But it is not a quiet of solitude, it is a quiet of connection,” said Rev. Floyd Thompson of St. Andrew Presbyterian Church of Marin City. “We will not only never forget, but we will live in the joy and the power and the presence of their life.”
‘Kind soul’
What they’re saying:
The Tamalpais Union High School District identified the four students as Olive Koren, Josalynn Osborn, Sienna Katz and Ada Kepley.
Two other young women were also in the car on Friday night. They survived the crash. The district identified them as Elsa Laremont Stranczek and Marley Barclay. The two who survived, including the driver, were taken to the hospital in critical condition, according to the Marin County Sheriff’s Office.
The crash occurred around 7:30 p.m. on San Geronimo Valley Drive, about five miles northwest of Fairfax.
Authorities say the teens were traveling in a Volkswagen SUV when it veered off the road and struck a tree. The vehicle then caught fire.
It’s unclear how the crash occurred; the CHP said the cause is under investigation.
Some family members shared statements, expressing their grief and the impact of the loss of their sisters, nieces, and daughters.
“Ada was a kind soul and gifted artist with an irreverent sense of humor that made people feel joyful and included. We miss her dearly and are struggling to process the loss of many young lives cut short,” the family of Ada Kepley said in a statement.
‘Missed by many’
The family of Josy Osborn said, in part:
“We are devastated by the loss of our Josy. Our family will never be the same. We don’t know what we will do without her. She was a firecracker with a bright smile and a personality that could light up a room. Her big dreams were as big as her personality and she had so much more to do in this life. We will live vicariously through her spirit until we meet again. She will be missed by many, including her friends and her wrestling team at Archie and throughout the entire community.”
What’s next:
Grief counselors will be available for students over the weekend, according to Tara Taupier, superintendent of the Tamalpais Union High School District.
Fundraisers have been created to help the families of the girls, and posted on the Creekside Pizza & Taproom site.
If you’re interested, here is a fundraiser for the family of Olive Koren, here is a fundraiser for Ada Kepley, here is a fundraiser for Josy Osborn, here is a fundraiser for Marley Barclay,
Original Source From: FOX KTVU
