Two killed and three injured in Christmas week crash were Pickerington Central students
The two teenagers killed in a crash two days before Christmas, and three other teen passengers who were injured, all were students at Pickerington High School Central.
Abdirahman Osman, 16, and Jalen Rashan Daley, 15, died from injuries they suffered in a crash late Saturday after the northbound 2017 Chevrolet Cruze they were in ran a red light at the intersection of West Lane Avenue and Carmack Road and struck a 2023 Honda HR-V traveling eastbound on West Lane Avenue near Ohio State University's West Campus.
They were pronounced dead at 11:30 p.m.
Three other three teens, whom police have not named, were taken to local hospitals for minor injuries. They have since been released, police reported. The Honda driver and passenger also were treated for minor injuries.
Pickerington Local School District sent this to parents:
"We received news that five PHSC students were involved in a car accident this past weekend. Unfortunately, two of the students involved passed away as a result of injuries sustained in the accident. The three other students have been treated for injuries and returned to their families. The district has been in contact with all the families, and our hearts are with each of them and our entire community. Please keep the families in your thoughts and prayers.
"We know that this tragic incident will affect our students and community in different ways. Our PLSD crisis team will be in place at PHSC from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. on January 2 if students, their families, or staff would like to come in and have someone to talk to. The crisis team will also be in place on January 3 as students return from break."
Mark Bloom, owner of Better Ohio Teen Drivers, is frustrated at yet another preventable tragedy involving teen drivers. Bloom's training teaches dynamic car control skills like driving on ice or with unexpected obstacles.
"Right away when I heard about it, I thought 'If they were all young gentlemen, that's not good,'" he said. "They ran a red light, there may have been speed involved or distraction. It's all the things we know about and can prevent."
Bloom noted that car crashes have been the leading cause of death for people 16-19 years old. He said having numerous teens in a car can cause distractions for a teen driver, and previous awareness campaigns have failed to make a real difference in the problem.
"We're not fixing anything," he said. "It's almost like they're (teen fatalities) another fact of life. It makes me angry."
dnarciso@dispatch.com
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Christmas weej fatal crash victims were Pickerington Central students
