Three Concord-Carlisle High School seniors were killed and another critically injured in a car crash Monday night in Florida, school and law enforcement officials said.
Superintendent Dr. Laurie Hunter identified the students as Jimmy McIntosh, Hannah Wasserman, and Maisey O’Donnell. The crash occurred on U.S. Highway 98 near Inlet Beach, between Tallahassee and Panama City, while the students were on spring break.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the four 18-year-olds were traveling westbound in an SUV when they collided with a tractor-trailer making a U-turn in the median around 9:28 p.m. The impact sent the SUV across the highway and into a wooded area. McIntosh and Wasserman were pronounced dead at the scene. O’Donnell and the fourth student, identified as Lauren Costa, were transported to Bay Medical Center in critical condition, where O’Donnell, a state champion and team USA diver, was later pronounced dead.
The driver of the tractor-trailer, a 19-year-old from DeFuniak Springs, Florida, and a 23-year-old passenger were not injured, officials said. The crash remains under investigation by Florida authorities.
In a statement, Hunter expressed condolences to the families and community: “We offer our deep condolences to the families and friends of Hannah, Jimmy and Maisey during this unimaginable time. Their loss will be deeply felt by our school community as well as by so many families in Carlisle and Concord. We are also keeping the other student in our thoughts and wish them strength and a swift recovery”.
Grief counseling services will be available for students and staff at Concord-Carlisle High School on Wednesday from 10 a.m. to noon, and again on Monday when classes resume after spring break.
The tragedy has reverberated throughout the Concord and Carlisle communities, with classmates, educators, and neighbors mourning the loss of the three seniors, who were described as vibrant and deeply involved in school life.
A GoFundMe established for Hannash Wasserman raised nearly $2,000 at the time of publication.
