FAIRPORT, N.Y., June 28, 2007
Five Young Women Killed In Fiery Car Crash
SUV Collided Head-On With Truck; Victims Killed Days After Graduating From N.Y. High School
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In these undated 2007 Fairport High School yearbook photos, Bailey Goodman, Meredith McClure, Hannah Congdon, (top) Sara Monnat and Katie Shirley (bottom) are shown. (AP Photo/Democrat & Chronicle)
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Charred debris and the twisted trailer of an 18-wheeler covers the roadside on Route 5 outside of East Bloomfield, N.Y., Wednesday, June 27, 2007. (AP Photo/Kris J. Murante)
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Fairport High School students comfort each other outside Fairport High School in Fairport, N.Y., Wednesday, June 27, 2007, after learning of the death of five recent graduates in a car-truck crash near Bloomfield, N.Y., late Tuesday. (AP Photo/Democrat & Chronicle)
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Interactive Motor Away Things to know before hitting the road.
Their Chevrolet Trail Blazer had just passed a vehicle late Tuesday when it swerved back across the two-lane road into oncoming traffic and hit a tractor-trailer, the Ontario County Sheriff's Office said. Both vehicles caught fire.
The crash knocked down utility lines and cut phone service in the western half of Ontario County. The truck driver wasn't injured.
The victims were pronounced dead at the scene, deputies said.
Fairport High School Principal David Paddock said four of the women were members of the cheerleading squad — Bailey Goodman, Hannah Congdon, Meredith McClure and Sara Monnat — and he identified the fifth as Katie Shirley. All five graduated Thursday.
"It is with overwhelming sadness that I inform all of you that five of our children, all of whom just graduated from FHS last Thursday evening, lost their lives earlier tonight in a car accident," Paddock wrote in an e-mail sent to parents early Wednesday.
He said the victims had been heading to the Keuka Lake camp of a parent, and four friends were following in another car when the wreck occurred.
Ontario County Sheriff Philip Povero said Bailey was driving the SUV.
Keisha Koneski, one of the cheerleading teammates who was following in the second car, told the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle that it appeared Bailey had 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," she said.
The crash happened shortly after 10 p.m. along a 55-mph stretch just before the crest of a slight rise on a two-lane road in the rural town of East Bloomfield, a western Finger Lakes community about 20 miles southeast of Rochester.
The SUV landed on the side of the road and partially under the charred rig, which was being removed from the scene late Wednesday morning. A nearby maple tree was scorched by flames.
Sheriff Povero said it was clear that the fierceness of the impact caused various fuel lines to rupture, causing both vehicles to ignite.
“The fire trapped the five girls in the SUV. They were unable to escape," Lt. Bill Gallagher of the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office told the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. "Both vehicles were engulfed. There was no chance for rescue," he said.
Dozens of students, teachers and parents, some hugging and weeping, gathered Wednesday morning on a hillside overlooking the school, located in an Erie Canal village of about 6,000, about 10 miles southeast of Rochester.
Marcus Merriman, an 18-year-old student who knew all the victims, described Hannah Congdon as "probably my best friend."
"She always had a perfect smile on her face. She said 'hi' to everyone in the halls. She was very caring and sympathetic," he said.
"Our hearts just explode and it just makes the grieving so hard because we build such a community for youth," said Debra Tandoi, a town official who works with young people in the schools. "We love them all."
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
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See all 111 CommentsWhat an idiot, she only had a junior's driver license. She cost four people their lives, not to mention the truck driver a lot of pain
I may only be 15, but I know that that is a horribly cruel thing to say. And as for her having a junior license, that is false. It's not like she went out that night planning on doing what happened. They call it a 'car accident' for a reason. It's not Bailey's fault.
- god 'needed' all five of these girls at the same time?
- there's a presumption that all of these girls 'had a relationship' with god ... and they are all now in heaven 'shining down' on us all.
- there's a similar presumption that god would choose to have the fate of all five be the same (ie. they're all worthy to be in heaven; and it happens quickly)
- somewhere in the linguistics of the postings there seems to be some sense of religious persecution ... referencing claims (of claims) that christians are bad drivers. it could be there ... but i didn't see it.
historically ... and likely for many in contemporary times ... religion has served as a 'means' that serves to fill in the unaswered (or unanswerable) aspects of life (ie. how did it all begin, why are you here, what's to follow, etc). tragedies like this are a great example of why people need religion ... rationality doesn't explain the 'why' ... or provide any comfort with what happens to these girls moving forward. a vacuum of belief or faith in these situations would leave one w/ nothing but hopelessness ... which isn't typcially the human response.
for example ... would the jews have been able to survive their forty years of desert wandering (a hopeless state of unknown-ness) following the exodus from egypt if they didn't have a strong faith in their god?
Your comments mean nothing and only a moron such as yourself would consider anyone that is religous a bad driver. What does that have to do with the tragic loss of life?
Posted by LMM23 at 10:57 PM : Jun 28, 2007
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I avoid people who misspell "religous".
I avoid drivers with 'Jesus fish' bumper stickers for precisely the same reason.
Religious people do not believe in physics, which governs the dynamics of moving objects.
They believe that if they hit a telephone poll... or .."God forbid me", it is because "God wanted this to happen", not because they are incapable of rational decisions behind the wheel.
...or in any other circumstance for that matter.
It's a waste of time to try to explain to them that SUVs have high center of gravity which severely impacts their maneuverability at higher speeds.
Frankly, I wouldn't mind if God one day decided to take all the Christians and their middle east counterparts, the Muslims..a "little closer to him".
I only pray that Heaven is far enough so we wouldn't hear them singing.
Maybe you should become a detective with all your theories.
appherently you didnt bother to read any of my other posts....no shock there,a religeous fanatic closing his/her eyes to the whole story and picking out only the words,in this case,lmao,that suites them.
the comment made that was true is that religeous fanatics are incapable of rational thought....im sorry if the truth offends you,but that does seem to be the case in every argument you people are involved in.
another trate,1 in which i fell victim to by replying to you ,is for religeous fanatics to make everything about them.
this post is meant to discuss this very sad and tragic accident,yet you people seem to think god killed these poor girls.
very sad...
Your comments mean nothing and only a moron such as yourself would consider anyone that is religous a bad driver. What does that have to do with the tragic loss of life?
im not laughing at the tragedy you moron,im laughing at what was said about you religeous fanatics driving....it was funny...and TRUE!
stop making this a religeous event and reckognize it for the tragedy it is....my heart goes out to the families involved...
Yu do as well and what a shame when something happens in your family. I won't lower myself to your standard by saying lmao becuase I'm sure people laugh at you all the time.
Yeah you fit right in with all the other morons out there.
2-its also possible that the girl driving the suv was unsure of herself,possibly thinking that the van was closer than it was,causing her to nervously jerk back into traffic....if that turns out to be the case,then its a trajic accident caused by a young driver driving outside of her ability.
3-were these kids drinking?
4-how fast were they going?were they driving within the limits of the law?
5-were they smoking?if so,is it possible that a ciggarette ash dropped or flew into the drivers eye?
obviously all of these are just speculation,but definitely within the realm of possibility too....but to say that the suv doesnt accelerate as fast as a bmw and therefor is a cause in the trajedy is pure stupidity.
1) The decision to pass on two lane highway
2) Passing on the approach of a hill apex
3) SUV
The previous author, although opinionated, is dead wrong on discounting the SUV as a factor in this type of accident. The SUV is arguably the most significant factor.
As a former driver of an SUV, I guarantee you this accident wouldn't have happened in a BMW, or any car with speed appropriate handling character. The driver just wouldn't make the same error.
What a tragedy.
Posted by holmdon at 07:39 PM : Jun 27, 2007
first of all,your dead wrong in assuming the suv had anything to do with this accident....im a current owner of 1,and im curious why you think an suv doesant have appropriate speed/steering?also,as an owner of the suv,im well aware of what its capable of doing.
there are many factors that could have caused this accident,none of which are the type of vehicle that was driven,and none of which any of us know at this time.the only thing i can say with certainty is that the suv was not the cause.
i can and will list 5 in the next post...
after reading all 10 pages of comments to this sad story...
...one conclusion immediately becomes clear:
Christians as completely irrational dingbats should not be allowed to drive motor vehicles.
you have so eloquently told the truth about God and His love for His children. My heart breaks for the families of these beautiful young ladies, and for the lives so full of promise that were lost. I pray that the families will find comfort and peace in their hearts...a peace that only God can give them. We serve such a great and wonderful God...even in times of great sorrow, He is still the Great Comforter.
I pray that these young ladies had a relationship with our Lord. I hope they had opened their hearts to Him and asked Him to come in. This is the most important decision we can ever make in our lives...our eternity depends on it.
It seems that lately death and destruction are at the top of the news each day...Please let's pray, and not argue, about the state of our world and how and what each of us can do to make things better for all of us. God help us all....
I would tend to think that maybe he was in shock and really did not know what to say. I think that happens on occasion. I know if I was in that situation I would not know what to say and I'm really thinking he was just at a loss for words.
[School principal] Paddock spoke at a church service Wednesday morning for the victims. He told CBS affiliate WHAM's Brendan O'Riordan that in order to break the tension, he told a story about a light that was shining through the church.
"I said to the congregation that was in there that you see that light coming down, you know that's the girls right now and they're up there in cheerleader heaven, because they were cheerleaders, and they're looking down and they're saying, 'Wow Mr. Paddock, look at all the people that love me,'" Paddock told O'Riordan in an interview. "My response was, 'This is nothing. Wait till you see the next couple of days.'"
Cheerleader heaven. Yeah. Sure.
May God Rest Your Souls!
cantshutup
I LOVE JESUS! HE IS MY SAVIOUR!!!!!!!!!!!
Who's going to save you with your filthy mouth????
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