Teen Passenger Killed in Tragic Car Crash

Two teenagers were in 1995 Saturn Coupe heading down Route 625 (Horners Mill Road) in Westmoreland County, Virginia (VA) apparently headed to school. Sadly, they never made it. The 17-year-old driver ran off the side of the road, over-corrected, and wound up slamming into a tree, according to journalpress.com. The 14-year-old passenger was killed and the driver suffered serious injuries.

My heartfelt condolences go out to the friends and family of the passenger who lost their life. Losing someone close to you is always devastating, but it's even worse to lose someone at such a young age with their whole life ahead of them. The teen was a ninth grader at Washington and Lee High School.

I also want to say I'm pulling for the driver to pull through. They're receiving treatment at Mary Washington Hospital but there hasn't been an update on their condition.

We don't know what caused the driver to lose control of the car. Was there some type of vehicle malfunction? Were they trying to avoid something in the road? Were they distracted? We'll have to wait and see what the accident report reveals.

So, for now, the focus needs to be on making sure the students, friends and loved ones of the deceased teen can get through the grieving process. As Westmoreland School Superintendent Elaine Fogliani said:

"This student's death is a tragic, emotional loss for the entire Westmoreland County Public School family.  I am sure all of us will make every effort to comfort and support the family as they attempt to deal with this traumatic loss.  There are no adequate words to express our sense of grief and sympathy for the family."