‘All three of those kids were friends of my kids’: Stunned community grieves the tragic death of teens in West Brookfield crash

Hundreds of people gathered on West Brookfield’s town common Wednesday night to mourn the three teens killed in a single-car crash after school the day before. Lena Noonan, 16, Christian Congelos, 15, and Jaclyn Desrosier, 14, were all students at Quaboag Regional Middle High School in Warren, according to The Boston Globe. Friends and family wept as they remembered the teens at the vigil, lighting candles for the students near the town gazebo, the Globe reports.

Students and towns people at vigil in West Brookfield for three students killed in accident. pic.twitter.com/qhM0PoyKBm

— Ken MacLeod (@KenMacWBZ) November 8, 2017

At a press conference Wednesday, West Brookfield Chief of Police C. Thomas O’Donnell called the crash a “horrible tragedy” for the communities of Warren and West Brookfield, which make up the school district.

“These are very small towns, this is a very small school district,” he said. “Everybody knows everyone. I was personally acquainted with two of the kids who were killed in the accident last night. All three of those kids were friends of my kids.”

The cause of the crash, which occurred around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, is being investigated by the Worcester District Attorney’s office, state, and local police. Authorities say the teens were driving on Douglas Road in West Brookfield when the car left the road, hit a tree, and rolled over. All three of the students were pronounced dead at the scene, according to the DA’s office.

Grief counselors were at district schools Wednesday and will remain “until further notice” to be on hand for students and staff dealing with the tragedy, Quaboag Regional School District Superintendent Brett Kustigian said in a statement:

The worst of times, and this is assuredly one of them, often brings out the best in people. While I am heartbroken and saddened for our school community, I am also encouraged by the strength and resiliency of our students, staff and the entire school community. The outpouring of support from neighbors, colleagues, friends and people everywhere is comforting and I appreciate the ongoing support.

“They were all really good kids,” O’Donnell said of the teens who were killed. “The two that I knew personally were just great, fun kids, and you couldn’t ask for better people. The other child, I didn’t know personally, but was friends with one of my children, and they thought the world of them.”The students have not been officially identified by authorities, but at the vigil Wednesday, community members spoke about each of the teens, all of whom were student athletes, according to the Globe.

They were a young, beautiful couple with the world in front of them. Aunt of Jaclyn Desrosiers talks about the 14yo killed in #WestBrookfield crash yesterday with boyfriend Christian Congelos, and best friend Lina Noonan. pic.twitter.com/5mvaflY9z1

— Susan Tran (@susantran) November 8, 2017

Noonan’s basketball coach, Charlene Valle, spoke of the 16-year-old’s love of the game.

“She worked so hard. … This was her year to shine,” she said. “She was poised to do great things.”

One of Congelos’s teammates on the soccer team called knowing the 15-year-old “a blessing.”

“He was the heart and emotion of this team,” another teammate said. “[He] will be missed, and his [loss] felt for years to come.”

The school’s cross country team lit candles for 14-year-old Desrosiers.

“She was always the first person I could go to when I had a bad day,” one of the students said, according to the Globe. “She brought life to the team.”

MassLive reports that Desrosiers was close friends with Noonan, and that the 14-year-old was dating Congelos.

John Desrosiers, the teen’s father, called the crash a freak accident and said he hoped other young drivers would learn not to joyride.

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