Three high school seniors from Massachusetts — one of whom was a two-time state diving champion — were killed in a harrowing car crash during their spring break trip to Florida, while a fourth student continues to fight for her life in the hospital.
The group, comprising 18-year-old students from Concord-Carlisle High School, were traveling on Highway 98 near Panama City on Monday night when their SUV crashed into a tractor-trailer that was making a U-turn around 9:28 p.m., according to reports. The impact of the collision sent the SUV across the highway median, eventually coming to a stop in a wooded area on the opposite side, the Florida Highway Patrol reported.
Killed While on Spring Break
Two of the four students, Jimmy McIntosh and Hannah Wasserman, were pronounced dead at the scene. The other two students were rushed to Bay Medical Center in critical condition.
One of them, Maisey O'Donnell, later succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead at the hospital. The fourth student, whose name has not been revealed, is still in critical condition, according to NBC Boston.
McIntosh, of Carlisle, Massachusetts, was behind the wheel of the SUV during the accident and had his seatbelt on.
Investigators are still working to confirm whether Wasserman and O'Donnell, both from Concord, along with the unnamed student, were wearing seatbelts at the time of the deadly collision.
According to WCVB, the 19-year-old driver of the tractor-trailer and their passenger were unharmed in the crash.
The Florida Highway Patrol said that the deadly crash remains under investigation.
School Mourns Deaths
Concord-Carlisle Regional School District Superintendent Laurie Hunter confirmed on Tuesday that McIntosh, Wasserman, and O'Donnell were all killed in the crash. "We are very appreciative of the outpouring of love during what is absolutely heartbreaking," Hunter said in a statement, according to the outlet.
"We also appreciate the wish to feel purposeful and not helpless. At this time, it is most appropriate that no action be taken to honor the students without the full consent of the families and appropriate support for so many young people facing unfathomable loss."
Concord-Carlisle High School is only 25 miles from Boston.
O'Donnell, who had won the Massachusetts state diving championship twice and was planning to attend Williams College next year, was considered one of the top divers in the country. Her coach, Joe Chirico, told WCVB that she was also a role model for younger athletes.
"It's a tragedy," Chirico told the outlet. "The little kids looked up to her, the other divers looked up to her. It's a tragedy, that somebody at the top of their game, going to the best academic school, one of the best divers in the nation, was cut so short."
The talented young diver earned numerous accolades, including MVP, First Team All-State, All-Area, All-Region, All-County, and All-Conference honors while competing for the Concord-Carlisle High School team in 2023, according to NCSA Sports.
