Two teenagers are dead and three others were injured when the vehicle they were traveling in sped out of control and hit a tree on Abbe Road in South Windsor on Saturday night, according to police.
Brooke Wormstedt, 15 of East Road in East Windsor, and Matthew Masse, 18, of Vernon, died as a result of the crash. Both were in the back seat of the vehicle. Grief counselors are expected to be available in both towns to help the teens' frends.
Wormstedt was a sophomore at East Windsor High School and students will be returning to school on Tuesday for the first time since the crash.
Sara Ballard, 19, of Windsor, Christine Huppe, 17, of South Windsor and Megan Barnaby, 16, of East Windsor were also in the car at the time of the crash. Barnaby is in good condition at Connecticut Children's Medical Center.
Ballard and Huppe are at SDt. Francis Hospital. Their conditions are not known.
South Windsor police reported to the area near 497 Abbe Road on the border of East Windsor just after 8 p.m. Saturday night.
Ballard has been identified as the driver. Barnaby suffered serious injuries and Lifestar transported her from the scene.
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Megan's mother, Kim, credited an Abbe Road resident with saving her daughter's life.
Janice Warren, who lives across the street from the crash, comforted the girls.
"If it wasn’t for them, I don’t think she would have survived this ordeal. Again, from the bottom of my heart, I just want to thank them," Kim said.
According to police, the 2003 Ford Explorer was traveling at high speeds, which caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
A vigil was held on Sunday and a memorial of candles, posters and pictures now marks the scene of the fatal crash.
Abbe Road residents believe the crash could have been prevented. Several drivers speed over a hump, which sends vehicles into the air, and many neighbors said they’ve been trying to get the town to fix it.
"Every day, there are people who jump over that thing. It's fun, until it doesn't work for you," Nathan Skinner, of South Windsor, said.
"The fact that we've had a serious crash here, does that mean the road needs to be changed? I'm not sure," Police Chief Matthew Reed said.
Flattening out the road would be expensive, he added.
Many Abbe Road resident said the tragedy is proof that it needs to be fixed.
Police are investigating the crash.
