Thousand Oaks High School Mourns Car Crash Victims

0:00It's April 26th. This is California News Today, AI-powered stories from your city. I'm Corey with the story. Tragedy struck Thousand Oaks High School over the weekend when three juniors lost their lives and a car crash on the Simmy Valley Freeway. 16-year-old Kristen Edwards was driving along with 17-year-old Gail Cattle and 16-year-old Nicole Yates. The car swerved off the road and slammed into a storage tank late Saturday night. The school set up a crisis center Monday to support grieving students. Investigators from the California Highway Patrol say Kristen didn't have a driver's license and had been drinking earlier that evening. Blood alcohol results won't come back until next week. Two other teens in the car got hurt too. 16-year-old Eric Valance is in fair condition and 14-year-old Michelle Vukovic is serious but stable. Both the Simmy Valley Adventist Hospital. Students and staff are reeling from the news, announced to the whole school Monday morning. Teachers eased up on the day's lessons to help everyone process.

1:03The victims were super popular on campus. Nicole even played soccer and softball. Meanwhile, the school's students against drunk driving chapter had alcohol awareness events planned for next week, including a blindfolded driving. Demo, but they're toning it down to something more respectful after a student meeting today. The school principal Erie says they're working to find some meaning in this heartbreak for the torn-up kids. Student Body President Jennifer Conrad agrees the timing hits hard with those awareness plans. Thousand Oaks Mayor Lee Lackstow plans to ask the city council to cancel tonight's meeting in the girls' memory, letting the community focus on healing together.