Town Mourns Cheerleaders Killed In Crash

Five Young Women Had Just Graduated From Rochester, N.Y.-Area High School Together

(CBS/AP)  Hundreds of points of light dotted a hillside outside a suburban Rochester high school where a candlelight vigil was held last night in memory of the five young women who died in a fiery car crash.

Officials at Fairport High School say grief counselors will be available this week for the classmates of the five victims, all members of Fairport's class of 2007.

The teens were among nine recent graduates headed to a family cottage in the Finger Lakes when their SUV collided head-one with a tractor-trailer and burst into flames.

"We cheerleaded together and we were all best friends," said Keisha Koneski, 18, who witnessed the fiery collision along a 55-mph highway in western New York's pastoral Finger Lakes region. "In our (trailing) car, we could see the truck coming and we all started screaming."

The tragedy happened just five days after the teens graduated from Fairport High School, triggering an outpouring of emotion in this Erie Canal village of 6,000 some 10 miles southeast of Rochester.

"It could be any five that were lost — we would grieve the same," said Debra Tandoi, a town official who works with young people in the village's schools. "Our hearts just explode."

The victims had just overtaken a van when their sport utility vehicle swerved back across the two-lane road into the oncoming tractor-trailer shortly after 10 p.m. on Tuesday night.

"There may have been an overcorrection causing the vehicle to re-enter the (oncoming) lane," Ontario County Sheriff Phil Povero said.

The SUV and the truck careered into a roadside fence next to a bed-and-breakfast hostel outside the village of East Bloomfield and caught fire, sending flames shooting at least 20 feet into the air. The SUV ended up crushed and charred in a shallow ditch partially underneath the truck.

An overhanging maple tree was scorched, and blackened debris littered the road. The crash knocked down a utility line and cut phone service in the western half of Ontario County. The truck driver, Dave Laverty, 50, was not injured.

Killed were Bailey Goodman and Meredith McClure, both 17, and 18-year-olds Sara Monnat, Hannah Congdon and Katherine "Katie" Shirley. All five were cheerleaders in high school, but Shirley left the squad in her freshman year.

"It's a community nightmare," school Principal Dave Paddock said. "Our hearts are broken. We love our kids and are crying."

[jimibear]

""They're up there in cheerleader heaven, because they were cheerleaders ..."

This country has gone to hell.

It's horrible that this happened, but if a grown man who works in the education system can say something this cringe-inducingly dumb, there is no hope.

[rafterman1]

===but if a grown man who works in the education system can say something this cringe-inducingly dumb===

Well, people can say and do weird things when they are freaked out. I think we could let that one pass :)

[aaabee-2009]

Good call, Rafterman1. I imagine he knew them all, knew their dreams, and figured their lives would be far longer than what they got.

So sad.

[kprom828]

This is yet one more tradgedy to hit the Rochester area these past few months. In one week there were 10 fatal accidents. Pray for the families of these girls.

I ask all who respond to this article to respect those who are mourning and the lives of these girls. I've read so many responses to articles that bash Bush, the north, and other issues that have nothing to do with the article. Please refrain from doing so here. Real people are dealing with real pain, let them mourn.

[jdubs63]

Thank you kprom828 good words of wisdom

[doggymama]

I was similarly put off by the principal's remark, but some people simply aren't as eloquent as others.

This was truly a sad thing, and to be in the car behind and watch your friends incinerate must have been wrenching. Unfortunately, I went through some similar shocks when I was high school age, and you never get over it. You only stop thinking about it every day.

[whidbey5]

I am now 50 yrs. old. I remember a similar event in 1974. I was driving a car that my parents didn't know about. Four of my fellow cheerleaders were in it. Driving my friends to a baseball game. I was in a Chevy Nova. My boyfriend's car---he was in a baseball game. I tried passing a truck. He slowed down, sped up, slowed down.

We are all alive after 30 some years. I don't take credit except that other cars on the road pulled over when they saw that I couldn't go forward or back.

I was 16. Stupid. Now I wouldn't have tried. Now I have hindsight.

I don't blame it on my parents. Interestingly enough, My Father was at the school premises when I returned back to the High School. He heard (it was a very small school) that I drove Roger's Chevy-Nova.

Thank goodness I was grounded (stupid of me) instead of having my friends pay for my stupidity.

We all throw gutter balls in our lives. I don't blame anything on my parents. I made mistakes because I just DID.

50 yrs. old, two great children, a great life...could have been gone in a moment.

[jankebenz]

What a senseless tragedy, my condolences to friends and families. The senseless part of this calamity,if so,would be the driver of the slow moving van. All too often I have encountered slow moving Ignoramuses with no regard for the long lineup behind them They cause driver irritation and fustration, promoting risky driving procedures in order to pass Please don't give me slow down Malarkey,this is the 21st century,life goes at a faster pace now . If you are unable to drive at the posted speed without difficulty, please do yourself and others a favour and refrain from driving , or if taking a leisurely drive, pull over if your holding up traffic

[krzysztoslaw]

I am from Poland. When you drive in Poland you wittnes many times a day drivers who are passing cars and are short and are about to have head-on collision. Myself I had many situations when I had to make room for driver coming from oposite direction and trying to pass another car. It happens a lot and it doesn't have to end tragically if responsible, defensively driving driver makes room for inexperienced driver who is enable to finish passing. Why truck driver didn't move to the side of the road, even to paved shoulder area? Why? Slipping? Big truck attitude? Please investigate. Investigate also a driver of the van which grads tried to pass. He may be the main reason too for accelerating. Again, I was in same situation like this truck driver many, many times and always moved out of the way, most of the times steering right and driving on the shoulder to avoid collision with enexperienced or stupid driver. Why truck driver continued to drive towards trapped SUV ??????? I would like to also add that shoulders are wider in USA than in Poland.

[vballray]

it was a mistake that was made by a teenage girl, all you can say is God Bless all of them,and hope theyre in a better place.

[peckerz07]

Mo_Tiger how dare you blame this tragedy on these five beautiful girls, especially bailey you know nothing of this accident other than what you have heard on the news and read online. What bailey did was perfectly legal, passsing a driver going 15 miles per hour under the speed limit in an area with a dotted line. Besides the fact that the driver sped up when she attempted to pass causing her to turn hard back into her own lane once she was able to get around to try to avoid the crash. This along with her large top heavy SUV caused her to overcorrect herself into the opposite lane. You discust me! to make bailey sound like a killer these girls were best friends and part of one of the tightest nit communities. It sounds more like you are attacking youth than anything. And even worse For you to sit there and talk about the property damage this is nothing in compairison to the five precious lives our area has lost. YOU WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND THE PAIN THAT THEIR FAMILIES ARE GOING THROUGH NEVER! To worry about something so insignificant as property damage makes me absolutely sick

[incog-nito]

I'll bet you the driver of van sped up to avoid getting passed. I've seen this many times. There are jerks out there with easily bruised egos who couldn't stand being passed on the road by anybody. This has also happened to me on a few occasions. Some guy on a cell phone would be slowing way down on the road. After I pass him he would suddenly speed up to get back in front. I'm sure most people have had similar experiences.

Too bad they probably won't have enough evidence to prosecute him.

[raisingazona]

Most young drivers just don't understand the destruction incured on the human body by going 55mph to 0 in a microsecond.

[badmikey83]

These women died a horrible death witnessed by the other young women in the vehicle following, it will take alot of time for the area to heal after this event. The principle did not put alot of thought into his speach in regards to the young women, Cheerleader Heaven? First it sounds as something a child or something you might tell a child, not a community and young adults in high school. These women where no longer cheerleaders or high school students, but grown women and he could have done a little better.

[badmikey83]

I might add it's not only young women/men whom this happened to many older drivers do the exact same thing and passing as this woman done, age has nothing to do with this I've had cars heading directly for me attempting to pass and barely making it back in their lane before colliding with me and these drivers where much older.

[ralan40]

*********, The driver was not driving legally, she had a junior license and in NY, she was not allowed to drive after 9PM w/out an older adult AND she wasn't allowed to have that many passengers. It is sad that now these parents now know all to well why such laws exist.
These laws are in place to protect drivers not experienced. When the law is ignored and something like this happens, it really can't be considered an "accident".
Other posters can bash me for mentioning this but facts are facts. There was disregard for the laws that are meant to protect them. Now their families must live with the results of that. I hope these parents did not knowingly allow their children into this situation as they would now have to live with the results of this on their shoulders.

[mbpfrance]

Cheerleader heaven, Mickey Mouse Heaven or the Man in the Moon heaven - it matters not!

Those of us who have experienced death intimately know the truth of where these five souls are now a part of! It is calming and soothing to know and feel truthfully that they are safe and beyond pain now!

Life is a highway for all of us! It is sincerely tragic that for some the journey is far too short! For those who journey on - a bittersweet message is clear - value and care for what means something to you! Cherish , love and hold onto those that we hold dear!

Were it possible i would give my heartbeat up easily to any of the five that they may live to cheer another day! At 57 i have travelled many highways, many roads! But it is not to be!


The solace to me is that you lived well and triumphantly in your short time with us! That you are well loved and admired and cared for!

God,in his mercy will hold and protect you all forever more!

The caring for you from many will never cease! You will all be missed forever! Sleep well!

[Chaoticamusic.com]

The is very unfortunate, but it illustrates why inexperienced teens should not pilot multiple passengers, on a two-lane highway, and especially not in a poor-handling SUV. How very sad.
Regardless, the van driver crawling along at 40mph on a 55mph highway should be put in jail for reckless endangerment! What an ******.

[badmikey83]

In many states this woman would have had her regular license, irregardless of wether she was a newer driver at 17, 18, 19 or 20 she is human and humans make mistakes, it is a part of being human. Everyone is so quick to point fingers and place blame in this country. It could have easily have happened with one of the 18yr old women driving. I'm sure this woman was more than likely only a few weeks from her 18th anyway, a few weeks does not make that big of difference. Many many older drivers drive like ***, do the road rage thing etc.

[Chaoticamusic.com]

"Pointing fingers" is how we arrive at the cause, so we can determine 'what went wrong', to make positive changes, to avoid future tragedy.

A faultless society cannot evolve.

[badmikey83]

By the way these women were former cheerleaders, former high school students and these terms were tossed around in the press only to punch up the story and no longer apply to these women.

[ov442]

Pointing fingers and accusing fault in situations like this is not how a Human Society develops.
Reason, causality and education are what is analyzed and concluded.
People that "point fingers and find Fault" in tragedy like this where there was never any ill intent, are the same people that cast the first stone every time.