Four students from Community ISD in southeastern Collin County were killed in a two-vehicle crash Tuesday night around 5:45 p.m. in the town of Lavon.
In addition to the four fatalities in Tuesday’s wreck on State Highway 78 at Lake Road in front of the Bently Farms subdivision, three others in a van were taken to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries according to Lavon Police Chief J. Michael Jones.
The four students were driving along Highway 78 in a pickup truck before hydroplaning, crossing the median, and hitting the van that was traveling southbound on the highway.
At this time authorities haven’t released the names of the students, beyond officially confirming that two teenaged boys and two teenaged girls were in the truck, but Nevada Volunteer Fire Department posted to Facebook that one of its firefighters, a Capt. Jason Kidd, lost his 17-year-old son Jordan Kidd in the fatal wreck. The department has indicated that Capt. Kidd and his wife are not currently ready to speak to the public about their son.
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help the Kidd family with funeral costs and other expenses.
Jordan Kidd and the other teens who perished were all students at Community High School. The school is in the Community Independent School District, which covers most of southeastern Collin County.
Community ISD released a statement that the district was “devastated to learn of a tragic car accident involving multiple students.”
“We are grateful to the first responders on the scene,” the statement said. “As they continue to investigate CISD will refrain from making any additional comment out of respect for the families. Our thoughts and prayers are with these families and with the entire Brave Nation as we grieve together.”
Community ISD Superintendent Roosevelt Nivens wrote a letter to students’ families indicating that counseling staff, with support from neighboring school districts were available to work with grieving students and staff.
According to Nivens the school’s priority was to maintain as normal a school routine as possible in the wake of the tragedy.
“As a parent, I know I speak for all of us when I say we love our students and community, which makes last night’s events so tragic and sad. I ask that you join me in being intentional about paying attention to one another and taking care of our children because they are so precious to us,” Nivens said in the letter.
Nivens is scheduled to make a brief statement to the media at 5:30 p.m. before a memorial vigil at 6 p.m. in Community High School’s Braves Stadium. The vigil is open to the public.
“In the days ahead, there will be opportunities for us to support the families who will need our love and support,” Nivens also called for support in his letter. “In the meantime, let’s keep them in our prayers as they have suffered an unimaginable loss.”
Lavon police were assisted by the Lavon Fire Department, Nevada Volunteer Fire Department, Wylie Fire Department and EMS, the Wylie Police Department, Collin County Sheriff’s Office, and the Texas Department of Public Safety in responding to the crash. Chief Jones also indicated that several clergy members assisted in the response.