| Twilight Flyer |
06-27-2007 09:40 AM |
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Five Fairport grads killed in crash as four others watch in car behind
Victoria E. Freile and Gary Craig
Staff writers
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June 27, 2007 3:20 pm — The community of Fairport is in shock and mourning today for five young graduates of Fairport High School killed late last night when their SUV collided head-on with a tractor-trailer in Ontario County.
The girls who died — Hannah Congdon, 18, Bailey Goodman, 17, Meredith McClure, 17, Sara Monnat, 18, and Katherine “Katie” Shirley, 18 – had just graduated Thursday. All had been FHS cheerleaders at some point in their high school careers.
“It’s a community nightmare...I’m personally devastated,” school Principal Dave Paddock said today. “Our hearts are broken. We love our kids and are crying.”
The collision of the two vehicles was so forceful that both erupted into flames.
“The fire trapped the five girls in the SUV. They were unable to escape,” said Lt. Bill Gallagher of the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office. “Both vehicles were engulfed. There was no chance for rescue.”
Sheriff Philip Povero said it was “clear that the fierceness of the impact caused various fuel lines to rupture,” causing both vehicles to ignite.
For Fairport students, many who’d graduated with the five, the celebratory mood of summer was transformed into grief for the friends they’d known. Four other girls, who were following the SUV in a second vehicle, witnessed the fatal crash.
“It’s really sad, but it’s a little better than last night,” said Fairport graduate Keisha Koneski, who was in the vehicle traveling behind the SUV. “When you turn around there’s someone to hug you.”
According to Povero, the nine girls were traveling in the two vehicles to the Goodman family cottage on Keuka Lake when the accident occurred shortly after 10 p.m. on a stretch of Routes 5 and 20 just east of Flat Iron Road in East Bloomfield.
David M. Laverty, 50, of Olean was driving the tractor-trailer west on Routes 5 and 20 when he saw the sport utility vehicle, a Chevrolet Trailblazer which was traveling east, pass another eastbound vehicle in front of Laverty’s rig, Laverty told deputies.
Police said Laverty told them the SUV made it back into the eastbound lane, then crossed back over the center line and hit the tractor-trailer head-on. Both vehicles burst into flames. Laverty escaped uninjured.
Keisha said it appeared Bailey, who was driving the SUV, tried to pass a van that was driving slowly in the right lane. After almost passing the van, she said, it appeared Bailey may have thought the van was swerving into her lane and she jerked back into the left lane, running head-on into the tractor-trailer.
“We saw the truck and we all started screaming,” Keisha said. “We were all best friends and we just wanted to go out and lay on the deck and go out on the boat.”
Keisha and the other three girls in the second vehicle were unharmed.
Alerted to the tragedy by Paddock and others in the community, nearly 100 Fairport students and others gathered before daybreak today as a solemn remembrance.
Paddock said they watched the sun rise together.
“The sun came up,” he said. “I’m not sure we all thought it would.”
School staff, classmates and cheerleading teammates portrayed the accident victims as seniors who could be serious about their sport and academics, yet fun-loving and light-hearted.
Elaine Deignan, the cheerleading coach, said, “They were the nicest girls. They were the most respectful, pleasant and fun to be around. Just really good people.”
Kelly Ludwig, who also graduated this year, said, “Hannah always had the biggest smile on her face. It lit up the crowd everywhere she went. Everyone loved her.”
Kristina Chapell, a rising junior and cheerleader, said Bailey was her “Big Sister” who helped her adjust to life at high school. On her very first day at high school – a day often intimidating for new high-schoolers – Bailey met her in the hallway with a warm welcome.
“She was the entertainer,” Kelly said of Bailey. “She made everyone laugh.”
Meredith, teammates say, was the team’s hardest worker, willing to take on any stunt. “She was always the first one to be jumping, to be tumbling -- to do anything,” said teammate Tracy Critelli, a rising senior.
Tracy said Sara was her support system on cheerleading, convincing her she could succeed at anything. “She was very mature,” Tracy said. “She gave great advice about everything.”
Katie hadn’t been on the cheerleading squad since she was a freshman, but stayed closed with the girls. Keisha said Katie was much like Hannah – constantly smiling and positive.
“She tried to keep people happy,” said her father, Patrick Shirley. Katie loved to scrapbook and had covered her bedroom walls with hundreds of pictures of her friends. “They depended on each other,” said her mother, Katherine Shirley.
Today’s outpouring of support was evidence of the bond between the classmates and the community.
“Our community gets so close and does so much for our kids. It is like we just lost five daughters,” said Debra Tandoi, the school district’s community asset coordinator who accompanied Hannah and Bailey to a trip to India last year. “Everyone is feeling that loss and is stunned.”
Hannah and Sara were members of the Church of the Assumption in Fairport. The regular 11:15 a.m. mass today filled with friends of the crash victims.
“There were probably 300 kids here,” said the Rev. Ed Palumbos.
He said another service is planned at 7 p.m. tonight at St. John of Rochester Church, where Meredith was in the church’s Youth Group.
Paddock said he wants to hold a community memorial service at the school later this week -- to give community members the chance to remember the teens.
School counselors will all be available into the evening, Paddock said.
“They were angels on earth -- now they are angels in heaven,” he said
Includes reporting by staff writer Nicole Lee.
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