Car Crash
WCVB5

The Concord-Carlisle High School community in Massachusetts is grieving a heartbreaking loss after three beloved members of its senior class, including a two-time state diving champion, were killed in a devastating car crash during spring break in Florida.

Eighteen-year-olds Jimmy McIntosh, Hannah Wasserman, and Maisey O'Donnell lost their lives when the SUV they were traveling in collided with a tractor-trailer making a U-turn on Highway 98 near Panama City. The force of the wreck caused the SUV to cross the median and stop in a wooded area on the opposite side of the highway, the Florida Highway Patrol said. A fourth student, also 18, was also critically injured in the crash.

Jimmy McIntosh and Hannah Wasserman were pronounced dead at the scene.

The two others were rushed to Bay Medical Center in critical condition, where the third, Maisey O’Donnell, was later declared dead. The fourth student, who was not identified, remains in critical condition.

Investigators are still determining whether Wasserman and O’Donnell, of Concord, and the unidentified student were wearing seatbelts during the collision.

The 19-year-old tractor-trailer driver and a passenger were not injured in the incident, WCVB reported.

The Florida Highway Patrol said the fatal collision is still under investigation.

Concord-Carlisle Regional School District Superintendent Laurie Hunter confirmed that McIntosh, Wasserman and O’Donnell were all killed in the crash.

“We are very appreciative of the outpouring of love during what is absolutely heartbreaking,” Hunter said in a statement, according to the outlet. “We also appreciate the wish to feel purposeful and not helpless. At this time, it is most appropriate that no action be taken to honor the students without the full consent of the families and appropriate support for so many young people facing unfathomable loss.”

The loss has left the tight-knit Concord-Carlisle community reeling. Students, families, and local residents gathered recently for an emotional vigil of remembrance, support, and hope. Superintendent Dr. Laurie Hunter, who organized the gathering, described the grief as "absolutely heartbreaking" and thanked the community for their outpouring of love during this difficult time. She urged everyone to respect the wishes of the victims' families before organizing tributes or events in their honor.

Maisey O'Donnell’s death is an especially poignant loss for the school's athletic community. A two-time Massachusetts state diving champion, O'Donnell was one of the top divers in the nation. She had helped lead Concord-Carlisle to its third consecutive MIAA state title earlier this year and was planning to continue her diving career at Williams College in the fall.

“She was a role model for the younger athletes,” said her coach, Joe Chirico. “It’s a tragedy — the little kids looked up to her, the other divers looked up to her. Someone at the top of their game, going to one of the best academic schools, one of the best divers in the nation — to have her life cut so short is just heartbreaking.”

In the wake of the tragedy, grief counselors have been made available to Concord-Carlisle High School students as they return from spring break. Administrators also cautioned the community about a fraudulent GoFundMe page set up in the students' names, reminding people to verify any fundraising efforts with the families involved.

As Concord-Carlisle mourns the loss of three young lives filled with promise and purpose, the message from the vigil gathering was clear: though devastated, the community stands united in love, in remembrance, and in support for the families forever changed by this tragedy.

nextarticle
Close Ad