During their spring break trip in Florida, three seniors from Massachusetts high schools, including a two-time state diving champion, perished in a horrifying vehicle accident that left a fourth student fighting for their life.
Around 9:28 p.m. on Monday night, the four 18-year-old Concord-Carlisle High School students were traveling down Highway 98 close to Panama City, Florida, when their SUV struck a tractor-trailer making a U-turn, according to reports.
According to the Florida roadway Patrol, the SUV crossed the median and came to a halt in a forested area on the other side of the roadway due to the severity of the collision.
Hannah Wasserman and Jimmy McIntosh were declared deceased at the spot.
Maisey O’Donnell, the third, was later pronounced dead after the other two were taken to Bay Medical Center in critical condition. Unidentified student number four is still in severe condition.
At the time of the collision, McIntosh, a resident of Carlisle, Massachusetts, was operating the SUV and was buckled up.
Whether Concord residents Wasserman and O’Donnell, as well as the unnamed student, were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash is still up for debate.
Both a passenger and the 19-year-old tractor-trailer driver were unharmed in the collision. The deadly crash is still being investigated, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The deaths of McIntosh, Wasserman, and O’Donnell in the collision were verified by Concord-Carlisle Regional School District Superintendent Laurie Hunter on Tuesday.
In a statement, Hunter stated, “We are very appreciative of the outpouring of love during what is absolutely heartbreaking.” We also value the desire to feel empowered and not powerless.
Since so many young people are dealing with unimaginable loss, it is most appropriate that no action be taken to recognize the students at this time without the families’ full approval and the necessary support.
The distance between Concord-Carlisle High School and Boston is roughly 25 miles.
According to her coach Joe Chirico, O’Donnell, a two-time Massachusetts state diving champion who planned to go to Williams College the next year, was a role model for younger athletes and one of the best divers in the United States.
“It’s a tragedy,” Chirico stated. “The little kids looked up to her, the other divers looked up to her. It’s a tragedy, that somebody at the top of their game, going to the best academic school, one of the best divers in the nation, was cut so short.”
During his time on the Concord Carlisle High School team in 2023, the teenage diving prospect won MVP, First Team All-State, First Team All-Area, First Team All-Region, First Team All-County, and First Team All-Conference.
As family members established a GoFundMe to assist the student’s parents in paying for the burial and memorial costs for their 18-year-old daughter, Wasserman was referred to as a “bright light taken far too soon.”
“Hannah was truly one of a kind: warm-hearted, kind, and always looking out for others,” organizer Rex Riessen stated. “She had a way of making everyone feel seen, heard, and loved. Whether it was a friend in need, a classmate having a rough day, or a stranger who needed a smile, Hannah showed up with compassion and care.”
Leave a Reply