Three Massachusetts high school seniors — including a two-time state diving champion — were killed in a horrific car crash that also left a fourth student fighting for their life during their Florida spring break vacation.
The four Concord-Carlisle High School students, all 18 years old, were driving down Highway 98 near Panama City, Fla., when their SUV collided with a tractor-trailer that was performing a U-turn around 9:28 p.m. on Monday night, according to reports.
The force of the wreck caused the SUV to cross over the median and stop in a wooded area on the opposite side of the highway, Florida Highway Patrol said.
Jimmy McIntosh and Hannah Wasserman were pronounced dead at the scene.
The two others were rushed to Bay Medical Center in critical condition, where the third, Maisey O’Donnell, was later declared dead. The fourth student, who was not identified, remains in critical condition, NBC Boston.
McIntosh, of Carlisle, Mass., was driving the SUV at the time of the crash and was wearing his seatbelt.
Investigators are still determining whether Wasserman and O’Donnell, of Concord, and the unidentified student were wearing seatbelts during the collision.
The 19-year-old tractor-trailer driver and a passenger were not injured in the incident, WCVB reported.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the fatal collision is still under investigation.
Concord-Carlisle Regional School District Superintendent Laurie Hunter confirmed Tuesday that McIntosh, Wasserman and O’Donnell were all killed in the crash.
“We are very appreciative of the outpouring of love during what is absolutely heartbreaking,” Hunter said in a statement, according to the outlet. We also appreciate the wish to feel purposeful and not helpless. 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.”
Concord-Carlisle High School is located about 25 miles outside of Boston.
O’Donnell — a two-time Massachusetts state diving champion, committed to attend Williams College next year — was one of the top divers in the US and a role model to younger athletes, her coach Joe Chirico told WCVB.
“It’s a tragedy,” 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.”
The young diving prospect had won MVP, 1st Team All-State, 1st Team All-Area, 1st Team All-Region, 1st Team All-County, and 1st Team All-Conference while on the Concord Carlisle High School team in 2023, according to NCSA Sports.
Wasserman was described as a “bright light taken far too soon” as loved ones set up a GoFundMe to help the student’s parents cover funeral and memorial expenses for their 18-year-old daughter
“Hannah was truly one of a kind: warm-hearted, kind, and always looking out for others,” organizer Rex Riessen wrote. “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.”
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