Community vigil held for 4 teens who died in Marin County car crash

WOODACRE, Calif. - Four teenagers were killed in a car accident Friday evening when they crashed into a tree in rural West Marin. 

Two other teens in the car remain hospitalized in critical condition, including the driver, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The teenagers were students who attended Archie Williams High School in San Anselmo, according to Tara Taupier, superintendent of the Tamalpais Union High School District.

The CHP said the victims were all between 14 and 16 years old.

Three of the teens died at the scene and a fourth one died at the hospital.

The backstory:

The crash occurred around 7:30 p.m. while the car was driving on San Geronimo Valley Drive, west of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, less than 6 miles away from the students' high school.

The CHP said when their officers and deputies from the Marin County Sheriff's Office arrived, they found a Volkswagen SUV that had veered off the road and struck a tree near the shoulder.

On Friday, CHP officials said the car was engulfed in flames when it crashed into the tree.

The road was shut down shortly after the crash and reopened around 1:45 a.m. Saturday.

What they're saying:

"On behalf of 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," CHP Marin Area Commander Capt. Amy Newton said. "No words can ease the pain of such a devastating loss, and our hearts are with the entire community as they grieve. The CHP stands with our community during this time of sorrow and remains dedicated to thoroughly investigating the circumstances that led to this tragedy."

The Marin County Sheriff's Office echoed the sentiment, saying they offer their "sincerest condolences to the family, friends, and community of the students that tragically lost their lives in the collision."

The sheriff's office said they will not be releasing the names of the victims out of respect for their families.

"This is an incredibly heart-wrenching time for our entire school and broader community. As we await more information, we know the Tam District community will pull together in compassion, care, and support for one another," Taupier said in a statement.

Taupier asks that people refrain from sharing unconfirmed information out of respect for the students, their families, and the ongoing investigation by authorities.

She said district officials cannot confirm the identities of the students involved in the crash, and that they are working with the county to make available grief and counseling support for students and staff of Archie Williams High School.

Counseling will be available at all district schools this week, Taupier said.

Local perspective:

A community vigil was held on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Fairfax Central Field in remembrance of the students. The somber crowd gathered Saturday night to mourn the deaths of four teenagers who were killed in a car crash on Friday night. 

The victims were remembered by classmates, teachers, family members and community leaders during a candlelight vigil.

During the vigil, hundreds stood together and paused for a moment of silence, many holding candles or laying flowers in tribute.

"I’m going to ask that we now sit in quiet. But it is not a quiet of solitude, it is a quiet of connection," said Rev. Floyd Thompson of St. Andrew Presbyterian Church of Marin City. 

"We will not only never forget, but we will live in the joy and the power and the presence of their life," Thompson said.

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