Geneva High School cheerleaders killed in Christmas Day car crash: Addyson Martin, Emilee Fain, Cassidy Dunn identified as victims. Two other girls survived after car left road.
Three 16-year-old girls have been killed and a fourth seriously injured when their vehicle left a road and ran into trees on Christmas night in south Alabama, authorities said Thursday.
The dead were all cheerleaders at Geneva High School, said Geneva County Coroner Donny Adkinson.
Addyson Martin, Emilee Fain, Cassidy Dunn were all sitting in the front seat of a small sport-utility vehicle when their car crashed on Wednesday night. All three died at the scene.
Two girls who were in the back suffered injuries. One is seriously injured in the hospital. The other was not as badly hurt NBC News reports. A post on social media revealed the seriously injured teen girl as Emma Justice, while Molly Fein was named the girl who survived unscathed.
Police say the five girls had all been together at a Christmas gathering and were going to someone else’s home when the accident happened.
The fatal crash took place at about 6 p.m., according to AL.com. The driver lost control of the vehicle after going over a hill.
Authorities do not yet know what caused them to lose control.
‘We’re not sure for what reason they lost control, but it hit a big oak tree. It could have been a deer ran out in front of them,’ Lt. Michael McDuffie said.
Prayers for the families 😓 https://t.co/ylkElLLWTC
— Hilaria Hamm Rogers (@RogersHilaria) December 26, 2019
A community grieves as it seeks answers.
A photograph from WTVY-TV showed the vehicle on a wrecker with the roof apparently peeled away.
Police Chief Tony Clemmons posted on the department’s Facebook page asking people to pray for several families in town.
The city school system announced on Facebook that First Baptist Church of Geneva was opening its sanctuary, and ministers and counselors would be available to students and families.
Geneva County Coroner Donny Adkinson said the tragedy was ‘just awful’.
None of the girls’ families have yet made a public statement. The two girls who were injured have not been named.
The one who was seriously hurt was airlifted from the scene. She is expected to make a full recovery.
Geneva, a town of about 4,400 people, is located near the Florida line more than 100 miles south of Montgomery.
