Four high-school students are dead and two are in critical condition after a car crashed into a tree and was set ablaze in Marin County Friday night.
All six passengers, each between the ages of 14 and 16, were students at Archie Williams High School in San Anselmo. Three were pronounced dead at the scene.
“This is an incredibly heart wrenching time for our entire school and broader community,” Tamalpais Union High School District Superintendent Tara Taupier wrote in an email to families on Saturday morning.
“We recognize that in a close-knit community such as ours, many of you may have already heard about this incident or may know individuals involved,” she continued. “During this difficult time, we ask that everyone refrain from sharing unconfirmed information out of respect for the students, their families, and the ongoing investigation.”
A Volkswagen SUV carrying the teenagers was heading west on St. Francis Drake Boulevard when it hurtled into a tree on the shoulder of Geronimo Valley Drive in the town of Woodacre around 7:30 p.m. Friday, according to the California Highway Patrol.
“I extend our deepest condolences to the families, friends, and classmates of the four young students whose lives were tragically lost in this heartbreaking crash,” said CHP Marin Area Commander Capt. Amy Newton. “No words can ease the pain of such a devastating loss, and our hearts are with the entire community as they grieve.”
Taupier said the school district is collaborating with the county to arrange grief and counseling support to staff and students.
“As we await more information, we know the Tam District community will pull together in compassion, care, and support for one another,” Taupier wrote.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Anyone with information can contact the CHP’s Marin office at (415) 924-1100.