Houston, TX — Sadly, three of four teens from Houston, Texas that were returning from a spring break trip to Padre Island were recently killed in a terrible car accident near Corpus Christi. The fourth teen, who was the driver, was injured, but is in stable condition. The cause of the car crash, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety, was distracted driving that involved the use of a cell phone.
Officials say the driver was using her cell phone’s GPS in order to find their way back home, when suddenly she over-corrected and drove into oncoming traffic. Witnesses who saw the accident say that their car collided head-on with an 18-wheeler truck.
The girls – Jade Robinson, 17, Brianna Robinson, 19, and Brittanie Johnson, 18 – are remembered by family and friends, and a candlelight vigil was held for them by the local community.
Two of the three girls attended the same school, Bellaire High School, and grief counselors were there the next morning to help comfort any grieving students. Jade, the 17-year old that was killed, was the captain of the girls volleyball team at the school, and had received a full scholarship to attend Tennessee Weslyan college in the fall.
The Houston Independent School District issued a statement saying: “This is an incredibly sad day for Bellaire and Lamar high schools. We extend our support and sympathy to the families and friends of these students, as well as to both school communities and the district, as a whole. Counselors are at Bellaire and Lamar today to provide support to students and staff. Please keep them in your thoughts.”
Family and friends have also set up Go Fund Me accounts for at least two of the teens to allow friends, family members and other supporters to make donations to their funeral funds.
Here are the links below:
Britannie Johnson Funeral Fund
Jade Robinson Funeral Fund
Meanwhile, this tragic event has opened up the conversation again about teens and distracted driving. According to ABC News, car accidents remains the number one cause of death for teenagers in the United States.
Watch the shocking video below: