There will be four more empty seats at graduation for the Warren County High School class of 2014 after a horrific crash early Sunday morning claimed the lives of four classmates, leaving an entire community to mourn their loss.
Perishing in the crash were WCHS seniors Kaimen Collins, Shanna Seiderer, Christopher Frazier Jr. and Dominque Pinegar. They were all 17.
The single-car crash that claimed their lives happened around 1:30 a.m. Sunday morning near the Southside subdivision on Highway 108 (Viola Highway).
A 2013 Camaro, believed to be driven by Collins, was headed southbound, away from McMinnville, when it failed to negotiate a curve near the entrance to the subdivision. The Camaro left the highway on the left side and struck a medium-sized tree, uprooting it before overturning and landing on its top.
Two of the victims, Seiderer and Frazier, were ejected during the initial impact and roll. The car then burst into flames once it came to its final resting point about 30 feet from the highway after crashing through a fence.
Investigators say speed was a factor. They do not suspect drugs or alcohol given witness statements concerning the events that led up to the early morning accident.
Based on the pieces of the puzzle investigators have put together thus far, they believe the four were among a group of teens who had gotten together that night for a game of zombie tag. The game is a modified version of hide and seek.
It was after the game the four decided to head to McDonald’s for a midnight snack. They took two cars, one being the Collins Camaro and another vehicle. They then met up at the restaurant where they agreed to meet back at a home in the Southside subdivision since some of the teens had to be home before 2 a.m.
However, when the second car arrived, they couldn’t find the other four despite the fact they had left McDonald’s before them. It was at that point they saw pulsing blue lights just over the hill and went to investigate. That was when they discovered the fate of their friends.
The Highway Patrol is still investigating the crash. At present, there is no evidence of braking before the Camaro struck the tree as noted by no deep tire impressions leading up to the wreck site.
Evidence suggests the Camaro went straight through the curve without turning, hitting the tree head-on at full speed. Had the tree not been in its exact location, the crash may have never happened since, other than the tree they hit and the wooden fence, it was all open field for hundreds of yards.