Town Mourns Cheerleaders Killed In Crash

(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."

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[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.

[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.

[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]

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]

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 ******.

[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!

[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.

[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.

[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.

[raisingazona]

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