Schools Grieve Deadly Teen Crash

Elk Grove Unified School District said on May 18 that counselors were being made available to students and staff after a fiery crash in Sloughhouse killed two teenage girls and seriously injured three other teens. The crash happened around 12:30 a.m. on May 17 on Scott Road north of Latrobe Road, according to the California Highway Patrol. District officials said four of the five teenagers in the vehicle were current Elk Grove Unified students and one was a former student. The support response centered on campuses tied to the students involved, including Elk Grove High School, Katherine L. Albiani Middle School and Pleasant Grove High School. ### Which schools were directly affected? Elk Grove Unified said counseling resources were available at Elk Grove High School, Katherine L. Albiani Middle School and Pleasant Grove High School on May 18. In a statement provided to ABC10, the district said it was “deeply saddened by this tragedy” and was coordinating support services for students and staff. (abc10.com) CBS Sacramento reported that the three injured teens were students at Pleasant Grove High School. The district said one Elk Grove Unified student died in the crash and three others were receiving medical treatment, while the fifth teen was a former student who had moved away from Elk Grove. ### What do authorities say happened on Scott Road? California Highway Patrol said the crash involved a single vehicle that hit a tree and then caught fire on Scott Road just north of Latrobe Road. (abc10.com) ABC10 reported that the driver, a 16-year-old girl, and a 14-year-old girl in the front passenger seat died at the scene. Three rear-seat passengers were pulled from the burning vehicle by passing drivers before emergency crews arrived, authorities said. (cbsnews.com) CHP spokesperson Angie Monroe told ABC10 that the injured passengers included two 16-year-old boys and a 15-year-old girl, and that their injuries ranged from moderate to major. ABC10 also reported that investigators believe speed was a factor and were still examining whether drugs or alcohol played a role. ### Who were the girls who died? (abc10.com) CBS Sacramento reported that the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office identified the two girls who died as 14-year-old Piper Conkling of Wilton and 16-year-old Ariyonna Orozco of Sacramento. ABC10 separately reported that Orozco’s mother confirmed her daughter was one of the victims. ABC10 said loved ones gathered at a memorial along Scott Road on May 17, where family and friends remembered Orozco. (abc10.com) A later ABC10 report said the Elk Grove community held a vigil on May 22 for the two girls killed in the crash. ### How is the district handling grief support? The district said its response was aimed at both students and staff, not only the classmates of those directly involved. (cbsnews.com) Elk Grove Unified’s public website also lists broader mental health assistance resources among its student and family supports. Angie Monroe told ABC10 that the crash affected “the entire community” as well as first responders and the passersby who stopped to help. (abc10.com) That public framing matched the district’s request that the community respect the families’ privacy while they grieve. ### What is still under investigation? CHP said the cause of the crash remains under investigation. (abc10.com) Authorities are asking anyone who saw the white BMW X4 sedan on Scott Road before the crash to contact investigators at 260pop@chp.ca.gov, according to ABC10. As of May 21, CBS Sacramento reported that investigators were still examining the role of speed and whether alcohol or drugs were factors. (abc10.com) The district has not publicly identified additional steps beyond the counseling support announced for the affected campuses. (cbsnews.com)