GHS NEWS

COMMUNITY Offers Grief and support over Tabb students lost in car accident

Editor-In-Chief Eve Austin

On October 26th at 10:30 pm, three students of Tabb High School passed away in a car accident. The car was going west on Yorktown Road when the driver lost control of the vehicle, causing the car to veer off the road, hit a tree, and flip onto its roof. The driver died on impact and the passengers died of injuries that night. Tokens of remembrance line the road at the sight of the crash. The boys were wearing seatbelts, but any other risk factors are unknown. The crash occurred on Homecoming night on a road not far from Tabb High.

Connor, Logan and Niale were the names of the students. Friends of the students gathered around the site of the crash that night, reflecting on the tragedy. “He was a ball of excitement. You would love to be around Naile, I promise you that,” said Jordan Judge, a close friend of one of the victims. Another friend, Emmanuel Lentz says “He was just a… boy that wanted to have fun and wanted to live his life and it got cut short early. It’s tragic and I’m not sure we’ll ever fully recover from it.”

Public officials have expressed their condolences for the communities surrounding these boys. Yorktown Superintendent Victor Shandor said, “I am terribly saddened by the loss of these three young men. On behalf of everyone here in the York County School Division and our community, I want to express our heartfelt sympathies for the families affected by this tragedy.” The York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office posted “We grieve with you,” and shared an image of the Tabb logo with the words “Pray for Tabb.” This image has been spread around the York community and beyond.

Less than 24 hours after the crash, over a thousand people gathered on the following night at the Tabb High School football field and track for a candlelight vigil. The mass began with a group of teenagers sprinting football drills across the field in honor of the boys. Candles ran out well before the crowd reached its peak. Firelight and cell phone flashlights lifted into the air in a moment of silent remembrance. Following this, the crowd dispersed to walk three laps around the track, one lap for each life lost.

Many reported that despite the tragedy of the occasion, the vigil represented the strength and togetherness of the community. When she saw the teenagers start to run, Lashelle King laughed and said, “That’s love.” Ms. King, a parent of a Tabb student, said she saw an outpouring of support from teens and adults. She was glad the young people who were grieving had a place to be together, free of judgment to start healing.

Students of Tabb and surrounding high schools wore orange and white on the Monday following the crash in honor of the students. Gloucester High School’s SCA will be sending out a card with our schoolwide condolences.

We grieve with you.