No One Survived: Five 17-Year-Old Boys Had Their Lives Cut Tragically Short in a Horrific Crash
FIVE teenage boys have died after their car plunged off a cliff in a horror crash, with two of the youngsters thrown from the vehicle.
The group of 17-year-old friends were all pronounced dead after emergency crews discovered the wreckage on a steep hillside in Colorado on Sunday morning.
Tristan Tucker was one of the five teens to tragically die in the crashCredit: Gofundme
The 17-year-old friends were found dead at the scene after the horror crashCredit: Grand Junction Police Department
William Simms was named by family as another victimCredit: Gofundme
Grand Junction’s police and fire investigating the scene of the fatal crashCredit: Grand Junction Police Department
Cops said the car had driven off the edge of a cliff in Grand Junction, around 245 miles from Denver, late on Saturday evening.
First responders rushed to the scene at around 7.45am the following day and found the vehicle on the hillside, according to the Grand Junction Police Department.
All five boys, who lived in Grand Junction, were pronounced dead at the scene.
The Mesa County Coroner’s Office said three of the teens had been wearing seatbelts, including the driver and front-seat passenger.
The other two were not wearing seatbelts and were ejected from the vehicle during the crash, officials said.
Investigators are now looking at whether speed played a role in the tragedy.
It remains unclear which of the teenagers was driving.
Authorities have not officially named the victims because they were under 18, but devastated relatives and friends have identified them online as Braden Taylor, Tristan Tucker, Titus Gould, William Simms and Tyler Martinez.
Heartbreaking tributes have since poured in for the five friends.
Tucker was remembered as being “full of life, potential, and a free spirit” on a GoFundMe page launched following his death.
He had reportedly been preparing to start his senior year of high school and was about to get his driver’s license.
Simms’ sister Emily confirmed her younger brother had also died alongside his friends.
Braden Taylor’s grandfather announced his passing in a Facebook postCredit: Facebook/Calvin Wilken
Titus Gould’s loved ones also announced his death in the crashCredit: mealtrain
Tyler Martinez was identified as the fifth teen in the tragedyCredit: Facebook/Aimee Huffman
“My sweet sweet baby brother and his best friends left this world too soon,” she wrote on Facebook.
Emily also launched a fundraiser to support her grieving family.
“Our family is heartbroken and trying to process a loss we still cannot fathom. We were all very close, and losing him so suddenly has turned our world upside down,” she wrote.
A Meal Train fundraiser has meanwhile been set up to support Gould’s family.
His mom, Larissa Gould, has not publicly spoken about her son’s death but changed her Facebook profile picture on Monday morning to a photo of herself with him.
Friends and loved ones flooded the comments with messages of support and condolences.
Taylor’s grandfather Calvin Wilken also confirmed the 17-year-old was among those killed.
“Very sad news our youngest grandson Braden 17 died in a car rollover down 5 ledges of a very steep drop off over looking the railroad tracks and the Gunnison River,” Wilken wrote alongside a picture of his grandson.
“He was a passenger with 4 of his buddies, all deceased. Just a few blocks from their old house on the ridge top housing development above.”
Martinez’s grandmother Debbie Gallegos Martinez also shared her heartbreak after learning her grandson had died.
“With a heavy heart and tears rolling down my cheek my grandson was one of this [sic] boys,” she wrote on Facebook.
Another relative, Angela Chris Martinez, pleaded for prayers for all five families.
“Please keep our family in your prayers and prayers for the families that lost your boys, this is devastating and heartbreaking,” she said.
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Martinez’s mom, Aimee Huffman, has also shared pictures of herself with her late son in the days since the tragedy.
The Grand Junction Police Department said its investigation into the fatal crash remains ongoing.
SOURCE: THE SUN
https://www.the-sun.com/news/16828140/boys-dead-car-plunged-cliff-driver-ejected-colorado/
