A two-time Massachusetts state diving champion was among the three high schoolers who died in a car crash near Panama City, Florida, this week.
The students were from Concord, Massachusetts, and celebrating spring break vacation in the Sunshine State. They were due back in class at Concord-Carlisle High School on Monday, April 28.
On April 21, Maisey O'Donnell, 18, was a passenger in an SUV that collided with a tractor-trailer on U.S. Route 98, according to law enforcement officials.
"Maisey is in the organ donation program as her family hopes that it will give meaning to these meaningless tragedies," Concord-Carlisle Regional School District Superintendent Laurie Hunter told NTD in an email.
Documents obtained from the Florida Highway Patrol show that the crash happened at 9:30 p.m. on Monday on a Walton County highway, when the teens' SUV, driven by Jimmy McIntosh, 18, collided with the four-wheeler, which was in the process of a U-turn in the paved median. The SUV then crossed the median over two lanes before landing near trees.
McIntosh and another passenger, 18-year-old Hannah Wasserman, were pronounced dead at the scene.
O'Donnell passed away hours later.
"The fourth student remains in critical condition," Hunter said. "Their loss will be deeply felt by our school community as well as by so many families in Carlisle and Concord."
Concord is about 20 miles west of Boston.
All four students were expected to graduate in May. Boston Area Diving (BAD) coach Joe Chirico said O'Donnell was planning to attend Williams College in the fall.
“Maisey was kind, soft spoken, thoughtful, and she led by example by working hard,” Chirico told NTD.
Chirico had trained O’Donnell in diving for five years and said she was preparing for a national competition that would take place this summer. He had expected she would be back to diving training after spring break ended on Friday, April 25.
“She got into Williams College, which is one of the top academic schools in the country,” Chirico added. “It was her break time. We have lots of student-athletes who are traveling around. In fact, almost all the older kids are out traveling some place.”
Grief counselors were on hand at Concord-Carlisle High School on Wednesday, April 23, from 10 a.m. to noon, according to Hunter.
"We encourage everyone to attend, share community, and receive professional support if needed," she said. "Remote counselors are also available if you are out of town and in need of help. We are all devastated beyond what we can understand today. I know that the difficult days ahead will be ones we face together."
The crash is still under investigation, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.