YORKTOWN, Va. (WAVY) — Monday was the first day back to class for students at Tabb High School after three of their classmates died in a car accident over the weekend.
The three 16-year-old boys died Saturday night when they wrecked less than a mile away from the school in York County.
On Sunday night, community members came together to honor the lives of Connor, Naile, and Logan at a candlelight vigil. Leading them in prayer was the pastor of Bethel Baptist Church, Doug Echols.
“That was amazing to see about 1,000 people gathered together just to support the families and support one another,” Echols said.
On Monday students wore white and many paid their respects at the growing memorial where it all happened. Witnesses say the teens had just left the homecoming dance when they crashed.
The preliminary investigation revealed one of the teens drove his BMW into a tree after losing control.
“The students were well-loved, they were athletes, they were involved in key club and things like that, so I know there’s going to be a big void with their absence,” Echols said.
Bethel Baptist Church is right next door to the high school and has welcomed those grieving with open arms.
“We opened up our church on Saturday night after the accident happened, we had about 100 students and family members that were out in the parking lot. So about 1 o’clock in the morning we opened up the church and gave them a safe place where they could gather together just to be together,” he said.
Echols says he scrapped his whole sermon yesterday morning and the congregation broke into small groups and prayed for all those affected by the accident.
Echols was also at the high school Monday morning where students were invited to come to the gym to pray together. 10 On Your Side reached out to the school system and the York County Sheriffs Office for interviews but never heard back. The students’ full names have not yet been released by officials.