Community Holds Emotional Vigil for 4 Victims Killed, 2 Critically Injured in Tragic Marin County Crash Involving Young Adults

Following an automobile accident that occurred the previous evening, people of the community in Marin County organised a vigil on Saturday to pay tribute to the four high school students who passed away and the two others who are currently in serious condition.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the kids were driving westbound on San Geronimo Valley Road south of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard at Woodacre when they collided with a tree and subsequently caught fire. This occurred just before 7:30 p.m.

According to Melissa Wahlstrom, “I don’t think the shock has even set in for our community at this point.” This is because the sheer number of fatalities is so frightening. “We’re a tight-knit community, we’re a small community.”

It has been reported by the Tamalpais Union High School District that the individuals who were killed were students attending Archie Williams High School in San Anselmo.

Ada Kepley, who was 15 years old at the time, was recognised as one of the victim(s) of the accident by her family members.

“Ada was a kind soul and gifted artist with an irreverent sense of humour that made people feel joyful and included,” her family stated in a statement that was sent to NBC Bay Area on Sunday. “Ada was a gifted artist.” “We miss her dearly and we are struggling to process the loss of so many young lives cut short.”

There has been no confirmation from NBC Bay Area regarding the identity of the other victims.

On Saturday, a baseball pitch in Fairfax was completely utilised by hundreds of Archie Williams kids, parents, teachers and neighbours in order to express their sorrow.

During the candlelight vigil, religious leaders from two local churches and a synagogue lead the gathering.

According to the Reverend Floyd Thompkins, who is the pastor of St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, “We are going to give six minutes of silence because our belief is that every individual deserves their own minute of reflection.”

It was reported by the authorities that there were six people riding in the vehicle. There were four fatalities altogether: three at the site, and one at the hospital. An other two people are still in critical condition.

It has not been disclosed by the California Highway Patrol who the victims are.

Fairfax Mayor Lisel Blash stated, “I think it grew on people today what had happened,” referring to the events that had transpired. “Last night, it was not made abundantly evident that something terrible had taken place. I believe that it wasn’t until today that we came to terms with the magnitude of what had occurred and the impact that it would have on a large number of people involved in our community.

When an automobile collided with a tree in Novato in December 2022, it resulted in the deaths of two adolescent boys and the deaths of three more who sustained serious injuries.

“It was equally devastating to our community,” Blash stated to reporters.

Throughout the course of Saturday, members of the community went to the crash scene and left offerings, including flowers and other keepsakes.

We are located on the outskirts of a rural hamlet, and there are a lot of winding roads that are lined with trees. The mayor expressed his thoughts by saying, “It is very concerning that we have these issues where we have a group of young people passing away together in such a terrible way.”

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